Neal Hitch wrote:

> On the other hand, I know a farmer in northern Ohio who has a collection in
> the neighborhood of 6000 undocumented artifacts that he has picked up after
> plowing his fields.
>
> Neal Hitch

Part of our job as archaeologists is to convince people like this farmer to
document their sites.  Filling out a site survey form is not a big deal.  They
can even name the site after a family member.

A major problem with archaeologists is that most of what we do is about us and
for us.  We fool ourselves when we say it is for the public.  The vast majority
could care less and it is often because we give them no reason to care.  We
write reports and articles that are only for, can only be read by, other
archaeologists.  Take a look at the list of papers presented at any
national/international conference.  Who, but an archaeologist would want to sit
through that stuff.  Many archaeologists are not even interested.

There are a few rare individuals who write about archaeology and manage to make
it interesting.  They write articles and books that are comprehensible to mere
mortals without Ph.D. appended to their names.  But, how does the archaeological
establishment treat the likes of  Ivor Noel Hume?  Someone who can write in a
style that real people not only can read, but even want to read.  They are often
ignored, belittled, or ridiculed by those who lack the same skill.  A few years
ago I was sitting in a graduate seminar and the professor asked us to name a
nationally recognized archaeologist.  Only Indianna Jones and Ivor Noel Hume
sprang to mind.

The public side of archaeology is not writing articles for mainstream journals.
It is not giving talks at conferences.  It is giving impromptu site tours to
folks who just happen by and ask "What are you doing?".  It is working at the
State Fair or with local citizens groups.  It is being able to deliver a short
talk that is more than just an incomprehensible string of jargon.

We have got to give people a reason to care.  It is not enough that we do.  And
when you do give people a reason to listen, often you can catch their interest
and get them involved.

JH Brothers IV