Likewise in the state of Michigan we have some so called Professional's


that give the Science's a bad name. I personally know a lot of amateur


Archaeologist's that are interconnected thru a State Chartered Society


Called the Michigan Archaeology Society with Many Chapter's throughout


the state and with each Chapter  doing excellent work not only with


historic , but with prehistoric as well with years of fieldwork under


their  belts. The Society program that our state has keeps the Pro and


the amateur working side by side on many project's under strict


guidelines and at site's that are selected on a need basis only. I think


it would be nice for you  to look at other state's Archaeology programs


before making a  blanket statement that all amateurs are


Pot hunter's ,grave robber's and Treasure Hunter's. 





Kris Oswald


  


 





-----Original Message-----


From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ron


May


Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 1:28 PM


To: [log in to unmask]


Subject: Re: French and Indian War Graves & NY Looting merged at last





 


In a message dated 6/7/2006 8:36:21 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  


[log in to unmask] writes:





http://www.poststar.com/articles/2006/06/07/news/doc44864d99ede073058078


64.txt











Ok, I read those latest articles and the most telling evidence is the


fact  


they used a "front end loader" to cut a swath through the cemetery. To


their  


credit, the burials have been pedestalled in place, but has anyone seen


their  


field notes, drawings, and photographs? Moreover, the photos I did see


did not 


 reveal a standard excavation grid. The soil was just heaped outside the


dig  


area, not in piles under a shaker screen, which looks more like a


looter's 


pit  than an archaeology project. I guess we ought to wait to hear from


the New 


York  SHPO, assuming they would share their findings with us and not


their 


state  attorney general. 


 


I think the point here is that we all have known interested amateurs who





want to make discoveries on their own and become famous before they die,


so  


venture out collecting and pot-holing on weekends. In states with weaker


laws,  


where land owners allow collecting, and where amateurs get hired as


property  


managers, it is easier for the untrained to justify collecting and


digging.  


Heck, most of the people who went through field school with me over the


years  


probably went out collecting at some point in their lives. We even had a





discussion a few months back that smoked-out federal employees (one a


land  manager) 


who are hobby collectors and diggers. We have to draw a line in the


sand as 


to how we distinguish a professional and am amateur. Beyond academia,


there 


is the Register of Professional Archaeologists and that has been the


line  I 


have drawn in the sand. I am very sorry to learn that American history


has  been 


compromised by a mechanical front-end loader and two adventurers who


could  


not wait to bring-in professional archaeologists to investigate this


very  


important site in a proper manner.


 


Ron May


Legacy 106, Inc.





This email message and any attachment(s) are for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain proprietary and/or confidential information which may be privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure.



Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient(s), please contact the sender by reply email and destroy the original message and any copies of the message as well as any attachment(s) to the original message.