Come out, come out - wherever you are! Or not, apparently.
"Authorities said Saturday that more discussions are needed before a Spanish research team can examine a tomb purportedly holding Christopher Columbus' remains, setting back efforts to determine if claims that he is buried in Spain are true. The government initially had agreed to reopen the tomb on Feb. 15, but authorities later backtracked after the event was heavily publicized," according to a story published today.
I'm not sure why the publicity would be a problem, but there is no doubt that a negative finding could be a tremendous blow to the tourist industry of the Dominican Republic. Seville, Spain almost certainly would have the same qualms about having the remains they claim to be from Columbus tested. What either party needs to remember, however, is that in the long run the results don't matter to history. What's done is done.
