>From: James H Brothers IV <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: clandestine digging for dough
>Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2000 20:37:32 -0500
>
>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
Amen to that. Most papers given by archaeologist are enough to make you go
to sleep or want to run why should the public be interested if they're not
included.  There still has to be papers just for the group though.  Who in
archaeology would want to sit through a medical convention?

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