Well, Ned definitely knows that some of us are good at more than a few
aspects of the research!  A few years ago we went through this same
discussion and this time I'll keep it short and to the point.  I am simply
sick and tired of people who are doing work they are not at all qualified
to do  We are supposedly a PROFESSION, lets act like it.

Oh, heck with it.  I just wrote and then deleted a pissy message about how
bad it can be out there, and all it did was make me mad because I know that
no matter what I or anyone else who recognizes the problems does, some
bonehead will always be there to be sure that all needs are met except
those needs of the archaeological record.

In many respects I regret getting such a good and rounded education in
scores of skills necessary for a successful career in archaeology,
culminating in a much misunderstood degree(s) in Archaeology and Public
History.  It really was that no matter what part I played in the many
projects over the years (some few cases excepted) I had little control over
who did what, what got done, and how it got done.  And almost never did the
archaeological findings or historical record have any bearing on how the
field work was carried out ("stick to the plan, Dan!")  (I guess that
explains why research is done after the digging is over)  But then I don't
regret getting such a great education, because it helps me do what I know
to be an excellent job with our priceless archaeological heritage.

It just burns my toukas (sp) that no matter how good I do it, or what Need
Heite has accomplished in his century and a half in the field, it will
still be the exception and boneheads who have never stepped foot on an
historic site will be sent out to do the background research after the
project is done.

Blah Blah Blah and a Bah Humbug

(and I got all pissy anyway.)

         Dan W.

(Spring is on its way)
(unless you are down under then winter is coming!)




At 09:44 AM 3/16/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>Well actually, Ned, some people are good at not only fieldwork but are also
>quite skilled at the in-depth historical research and interpretation that
>goes into writing good reports. Some of us also write good reports. I use
>all the source material I can get my hands on including and most certainly
>not limited to probate records. Careful that you do not bite the hands (not
>me, thankfully) that help to feed you. And I am hardly a kid...I am decades
>and decades over that!
>
>Laura West