Oh wow, that really makes you stop and think. I ran into something like this when I was helping sort a small collection at a local historical society years ago, and the curator told me they had boxes of garments nobody would ever unfold because the creases alone told a story. The thinking was that once you cut or open something, that info is gone for good, so you save it for when the tools get better. From what I understand this has been going on for decades, not just a new thing, since CT scans and X-rays let them peek inside without touching the cloth. It does change how you picture a dig, that's for sure, more like a library where you leave most of the books closed.

The 2004 Kong director's cut runs 200 minutes versus 187 for the theatrical, and those 13 extra minutes sit right in the middle of the boat stuff where nothing needs to breathe. Same thing happens with the Lord of the Rings extended editions. People swear the extra scenes add depth, but half the time you are just watching characters walk somewhere or eat dinner. More footage is not the same as more story, and most of us have been trained to think longer means better because we paid for the ticket.