In addition to the afore mentioned problems in adopting any arbitrary unit
of measurement (and they all are), there are a couple of points which may
interest our English speaking brethren in outer countries and probably only
apply to us.

1) In the United States, Archaeology , for more than half a century, is
considered one of the four sub-fields of Anthropology.  Our degree titles
are usually in Anthropology.  Looking at Archaeology as way of
understanding people as priority number 1 begins to be ingrained in us from
our freshman level courses onward.

2) In the U.S., we have had different colonial powers over portions of the
country.  Many of our old legal documents are in both the Imperial system,
the Spanish & Mexican "Vara"s, and whatever in the blazes the French used
before the 1780s.  Getting a single legal unit of measurement was a real
effort and kept the courts busy for many years.  As a country, we can not
even agree on a single legal language.

3) In the United States, when our "leaders" tell us to do something, we may
or may not do it.  We are very proud of our ability  to tell them to sit on
it and twirl when we disagree.  The only nonviolent way to get everyone in
this country to move in same direction is to make them think it was their
own idea.  Far too late for this method to work with metric.

4)  As archaeologists, when we take a site looting case to court,  we had
BEST have all of the measurements and documentation in feet and inches or
the Jury will just tune us out.  Since the metric measurements are
meaningless to them,  equate the damage to the site as insignificant also.

Just a few morning happy thoughts.

Smoke.


Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
605 West Main Street
Russellville, Arkansas 72801
(479) 968-2354  Ext. 233
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]

It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.