Here's another thought about Museums promoting the treasure hunting angle:
Recently, I surveyed a number of southeastern states looking for job
descriptions for people who would interpret archaeological sites to the
public. I found two relevant tracks in the state employment
classifications, one generally called something like "education curator" and
other called interpreter. Both have essentially the same job description
(although curators tend to work inside museums and make more money while the
interpreters work outside in parks and make less money! ). Looks to me like
these two groups also tend to participate in two different professional
traditions or organizations. The curators join Museum Associations, while
the others belong to a group called the National Association of
Interpreters. Being the curious sort, I decided to infiltrate these
organizations to observe their "cultures." So far, I must say that, as an
archaeologist, I am feeling much more "at home" amongst the interpreters
because they seem to be unashamedly aware of their mission, usually to
preserve and protect the resource. They are very cause-oriented.
Has anyone else noticed this dichotomy? Does it relate to training and
education in these fields? Does anyone think my preliminary assessment is
way off base? Because, if there is some truth to it, then the problem
geoff carver expressed may be the result of allowing the wrong profession to
be our society's "story tellers." (if preservation is the story that should
be told ) So, perhaps, as archaeologists, we should do what we can to
support the National Association of Interpreters and their move toward
"professionalizing" the field of interpretation. Perhaps we need to throw
our support toward one of the two competing professions.
Linda Derry, Director
Old Cahawba - AHC
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701 - 5446
ph. 334/875-2529 / email: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of geoff
carver
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 8:43 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: treasure hunting
just outside my window there's an advertising pillar of the type quite
common
here in europe - it just stands there, waiting for someone to change the
posters
glued onto it -
right now it's advertising an exhibition called "treasures from X"
(not
going to bother with the country, it's not important) being shown at our
local
state museum of archaeology -
am i alone in getting annoyed when all the work we do is reduced to
"treasure hunting" even by the people who should know better? the museum
here is
tied in with the state archaeological service (excavation is a state
monopoly,
with all that that entails); which has no standing exhibits (partly because
of
want of a permanent venue), and tends otherwise to glamourise the whole
thing
into a fairly empty bunch of superlatives: the oldest this, the earliest
that...
i was also annoyed about 2 years ago when some of my finds were
described on a poster as "treasures from a latrine" -
is this a general archaeological problem (assumption that all the
[assumed] stupid public wants to see is/are treasures), laziness on the part
of
curators, a general unwillingness to communicate with the public...?
i'm not going to suggest that the public really likes this kind of
stuff
because they flock to erich von daniken readings but for the most part stay
away from serious museum exhibits...
any ideas/comments?
geoff carver
http://home.t-online.de/home/gcarver/
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