Some of it might be editing (how do you make screening photogenic [I will
refrain from making any comments here which might in any way be deemed
sexist, but I think the BBC can be credited for not aiming to tittilate on
this one...]?), but then I have a lot of trouble with the "units" used here
-
I haven't actually seen TT, but I'll assume they use open area & single
context planning/recording style methods (the brit standard)? Whereas the
american norm seems to be to do lots of little 1x1 m pits all over the
place, which break up any sense of horizontal continuity...? Check out the
Museum of London's "Archaeological Site Manual" or Edward Harris'
"Principles/Practices of Archaeological Stratigraphy" for some introduction
to SCR/P - which was developed for rescue work, but has pretty much become
the norm for Brits & various europeans...
Speed, from what I've heard, is a reflection of low budgets for the show,
and tight shooting schedules: they go in to a suitable site over some
weekend & do their bit - so I would assume that whoever is running the site
has done the archival work ahead of time; the TV folk just borrow the locale
for the time it takes to shoot an episode (peter? Any truth to that?)
Research design surprises me, cuz I thought the whole point was to try to
answer a specific question (i.e. actual research design), as opposed to the
"standard" of "preservation by record"


geoff carver - SUNY buffalo
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http://www.thememoryhole.org/memoryblog/

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Anita
Cohen-Williams
Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 09:51
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Time Team program

This is the post I sent to Cornelius:


Time Team is shown here as separate documentaries on the Discover Channel.

One thing that we (my husband and I) have noticed about it is the incorrect
techniques used in the show. Perhaps what we are seeing is just salvage
archaeology, UK style.

There seems to be little or no research design figured out ahead of time,
the archival research is somewhat sketchy, and the fact that no screening is
done, and no tight control is done with the units, or even if any units are
set up, all point to little more than archaeology done for the television
cameras.

We have both commented to each other about the terrible digging techniques
being used, and the fact that speed seems to be more important than
information saved.