> I think that it is this kind of head-in-the-sand, almost Pollyanna-like
> attitude that has gotten archaeologists into the mess that we find
> ourselves in now. I'm currently working on a site which has gained a fair
> amount of reginal notoriety, and one particular activist, whose influence
> may even be minimal and fleeting, has managed to convince a sizable
> portion of the local population that we are doing nothing but looting
> Native American burials and selling the artifacts at local flea markets.
> And he has managed to do this with out the considerable power of a
> synidcated advice column. If we, as archaeologists, truly want the public
> to be our partners in historic preservation, not only must we take
> advantage of every opportunity for public education, but we must battle
> public MIS-education vigilantly and mercilessly.
>
damned right - ultimately only got ourselves to blame -
geoff carver
http://home.t-online.de/home/gcarver/[log in to unmask]