>>> [log in to unmask] 03/17/04 12:19PM >>>
Of course, there was an absolute line between the history department
and
the anthropology department, complete with advising students not to
take
classes in the other department. A memorable quote from the
then-history
department chair: "How do you tell the difference between historians
and
archaeologists? Historians are well-dressed people with jobs,
archaeologists are scruffy people who look like they've just crawled
out
from under a rock (and they probably have)."

I understand the situation there is much friendlier now.


Well, it is here.  My predecessor had a falling out with the sociology
faculty, so anthropology/archaeology is in the history department.
(Which works well for me, since I'm a historical archaeologist, and the
two Colonial historians both stuck trowels in the ground at least
briefly while at William and Mary.)  Many of our anthro students
double-major with history, and there are several history majors with
anthro minors.  My first advisee who got into grad school went into a
historical preservation program, and one of the history majors with an
anthro minor went after a public history MA.  My archaeology lab is in
the local historical research center.

I think we all just need to realize we can't be experts in everything,
and should know when to turn to colleagues in other fields for their own
special expertise.

Cheers--

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth Ragan                  [log in to unmask]
Anthropology                       410-548-4502
History Department
380 Holloway Hall
Salisbury University
Salisbury, MD  21801  USA
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++