Jay and others- Everytime we do self diagnosis we are substituting our
lay-person's understanding for a trained physician's expertise. I feel
quite successful in pointing this out when speaking with individuals and
groups about archeology and archeological conservation ethics.  I allege
that everyone is an archeologist, like everyone is doctor. I think it is
human nature to be interested in our individual and collective past, and
more certainly it is human nature to be concerned about our personal
physical well-being.  As a former union representative, I would
sometimes have to remind my union brothers and sisters of the old addage
that ' a person who represents himself has a fool for a client.'  As an
archeologist and as a union representative it is not unusual to have
people ignore my opinions and advice in areas where I have expertise.
Who among us has not chosen to ignore "doctor's orders" because we "know
better."  The physicians I respect the most are the ones that don't feel
threatened by their patient's self diagnosis, but use what I think is
this natural human desire for expert knowledge, insight and explanation.
  What is troubling are the times, as an archeologist where my
"expertise" has been flawed, after gaining a layperson's confidence in
that expertise.  More troubling still are the cases where as a Union Rep
my diagnosis or remedies failed.  I think I know why I wouldn't want to
be a physician.  What I think about when people are not convinced  that
my archeological expertise is not what they want to hear (which I think
arguably is more frequently for those of us in applied contexts than in
academic settings), I think that often I am fortunate.  Those folks
probably will never be allies in conservation of resources anyhow, no
matter how much I invest in trying to advise them.  What is much tougher
is, as a civil servant, I can not refuse service to any citizen just
because they "dis" my expertise. Much of my career has been spent in
generally 'hostile work environments' toward archeology and
archeologists.  That wears many of us down, but really most of our
shortfalls don't have the direct dire consequences on another
individual's well being as a physician's shortcomings in expertise.  And
we don't pay the high malpractice insurance premiums to prove it.
Likewise as a union rep I could not refuse to represent anyone who was
in my bargaining unit. I think one of the weekly themes on the TV show
ER is a client who the long-suffering competent physician has to do her
best to serve, but whose client won't voluntarily seek counsel
elsewhere. At least Bill White's client went away.  So it isn't that
people are initially anymore dismissive of archeological expertise than
medical expertise, it is just that they are a lot less forgiving when a
physician makes an error; and maybe that is as it should be? -Mark

Jay and Beth Stottman wrote:

> People believe what they want to believe.  In my dealings with similar
> people (which around KY it was the myth of Welsh Prince Madoc), they
> don't look to us for real help or expertise.  They just want someone
> with credentials to verify their interpretations, when we don't, they
> consider us part of a conspiracy.  I will have people argue with me that
> plain old rocks are artifacts, even when they asked me what they were to
> begin with.  I usually ask them if they would question their physician
> on their expertise.  But, for some reason our expertise of cultural
> materials is just not valid unless we agree with them.  I guess we just
> have one of those jobs that anyone could do and you really don't need
> any education for.
>
>
>
> M. Jay Stottman
>
> Kentucky Archaeological Survey
>
>
>
>
>
>     ----- Original Message -----
>
>     From: William White <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>     To: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>     Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2001 11:07 AM
>
>     Subject: Purveyor of an Alternate Reality - Fictional History
>
>
>     List Members:
>
>
>
>     Here is something I would like to share with the list that might
>     spark discussion of similar encounters.  Enjoy....
>
>
>
>     Being employed with a research/museum institution under university
>     affiliation, I am occasionally asked meet with general members of
>     the public seeking assistance or advise.  One visitor had some
>     artifacts to show me yesterday that would "rewrite" the history of
>     the American Revolution.  He informed me that he was the CEO of a
>     consulting firm for the location of heavy metal resources,
>     particularly abandoned treasures.  He further stated that he had
>     recently filed a claim of abandoned property in the Las Vegas
>     Valley, Nevada, where he had found evidence of a bivouac area and
>     underground storage bunkers associated with the Continental Army of
>     George Washington.  He told me that the English Army had plans to
>     invade the western half of America (then belonging to Spain) by
>     sailing up the Colorado River and landing troops in the vicinity of
>     Hoover Dam, a chapter that had been "intentionally" left out of the
>     history books.
>
>
>
>     Listening with interest I asked to see his evidence upon which he
>     produced three locally available limestone rocks recovered from the
>     property.  The first, he said was a cameo in the likeness of George
>     carved by one of the troops (there was some
>     natural resemblance).  The second was a broken fragment of a
>     Greek discus (yes the Greeks also sailed up the Colorado River).
>     The last stone was "compressed opium" and when tilted to a
>     certain angle would reveal a hidden map of the Indus Valley which
>     has similar characteristics to the Las Vegas Valley.  Pointing to a
>     hole in the rock, he said that he knew of corresponding cave in the
>     nearby mountains where he was positive that the real Declaration of
>     Independence had been stored by B. Franklin.
>
>
>
>     Neither agreeing or disagreeing with his proposition, I assured him
>     that the artifacts he was showing me were not consistent with
>     Revolution-era material objects but were simply limestone rocks.  He
>     questioned my credentials and I had to admit that I did not have
>     experience with such artifacts since they were not found outside of
>     the eastern states. I then asked how I could be of further help?  He
>     stated that he needed investors and a
>     university-based archaeological group to take on the excavation of
>     the bunkers.  I informed him that we were a contractor, firms
>     hired us to do archaeological work and that we could not be of
>     assistance to him unless he paid us.  He then stormed out of the
>     museum yelling that nobody believed him.  Ouch, a touch of reality
>     there.........
>