What challenges do researchers face when trying to study significant archaeological discoveries, and what makes the East River bone deposits particularly important for understanding prehistoric life?

John Reeves discusses finding bones dating from 40,000 to 12,000 years ago in East River deposits, representing what appears to be multiple mass extinction events over thousands of years. Despite the significance of these discoveries, which include mammoth bones and human remains, researchers face substantial bureaucratic hurdles that prevent proper scientific study. The conversation reveals the frustrating reality that while these archaeological treasures could provide crucial insights into prehistoric life and extinction events like the Younger Dryas impact, institutional restrictions and red tape are blocking research efforts. This highlights a broader problem in archaeology where important discoveries remain unstudied due to administrative barriers rather than scientific limitations.