Mike's point regarding the units of measure used by the people we study
is well taken, but I add a fundamental and inescapable fact overlooked
by those retorting that we might use cubits as well: rank and file
Americans predominantly use English standard. Throwing metric
measurements at engineers in technical reports or at readers of
newspaper and historical society journal articles mystifies rather than
enlightens. And it is not the job of archaeologists to convert US
citizens to an international system of measurement. Now, should the
powers at large want to talk about increasing funding, pay, and benefits
for archaeologists, then perhaps there is room for negotiation.
Jim Gibb
Annapolis, MD