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Date: | Mon, 15 Mar 2004 08:02:00 -0600 |
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Archaeology has three main contributions to the study of history.
It can CONFIRM history. (and occasionally does so)
I can COMPLETE history ( and almost always does so)
It can CORRECT history (particularly gleeful for me when it does so).
So the semi-educatated (spelling don't count) Yahoos who think that
archaeology only can only confirm what happened do NOT know enough to be
part of the decision making process.
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.
praetzellis
<[log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask]
NET> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Just the facts, ma'am
HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
<[log in to unmask]
u>
03/11/2004 11:06
PM
Please respond
to HISTORICAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
HISTARCHERS,
While perusing the latest edition of Historical Archaeology (Vol 38, No 1),
I came across the following in an article by Kerri Barile. She begins with
a quote from the Texas Historical Commission [THC], which opines:
"If you provide a research design that. explains why archaeological data
are better than archival or historic sources for studying these questions,
the THC will support it."
Barile continues.
".this statement re-emphasized the tendency to separate archaeology from
the cohesive study of all historic cultural resources, including
architecture, archival research, and oral history."
How right you are, Kerri.
How sad it is that after I don't know how many years of historical
archaeology it's still necessary to make this kind of statement. It puts me
in mind of certain public officials who, in their scarily myopic
understanding of how historical archaeology works, ask me to justify my
work by lining up the "facts" that I have learned exclusively from the
archaeological remains.
Well, duh.
Adrian Praetzellis
Sonoma State University
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