Hey Bill - Don't get all sensitive on me, bro. I only have an MA myself.
No silver spoon in this baby's mouth. Carl
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Liebeknecht <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 4:25 pm
Subject: Re: Marco Polo/Cologne
Carl,
You wrote "Its really depressing to see, and I have seen it so many times
I'm almost numb to it, historic sites excavated by random MA level people
who happened to be sitting in the office when the call came in..." I hope
this is not a knock against those of us with out a PhD. I for one choose to
put my daughters through private grade school and high school in place of
furthering my degree. Having a PhD or for that matter a MA does not make
the archaeologist. There are plenty of crappy archaeologists out there with
degrees and little or no experience and they ARE a problem. There are too
many sites out there that have both prehistoric and historic (including
industrial and underwater) components and our colleges and universities
should be training them to deal with both. I have been working in CRM for
over 20 years now and I'm still learning something new every day. No one
person can know it all. It is our job to mentor those "random MA level
people" in the same way someone mentored us once.
Bill Liebeknecht, MA
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Carl
Steen
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 4:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Marco Polo/Cologne
I agree with both of you, but sadly enough, in the real world there aren't
enough, say, Industrial archaeologists to keep up with development. Its
really depressing to see, and I have seen it so many times I'm almost numb
to it, historic sites excavated by random MA level people who happened to be
sitting in the office when the call came in...
But I did feel it was ironic to hear such a Binfordian / Southian comment
come from Mary!!!! (insert cute emoticon signifying a good natured attempt
at humor here)
Carl
-----Original Message-----
From: Marsha King <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 3:54 pm
Subject: Re: Marco Polo/Cologne
Mary,
I sure wish that was true in all states & in both directions. I get rather
tired of prehistoric archeologists assuming that they can adequately
excavate
historic sites. Unfortunately, our SHPO doesn't require the same level of
experience in the particular site type/age range that I found was the case
when
I worked in RI, MA, CT, etc. Fairly regularly archeologists with next to no
experience (no formal training) in historical archeology excavate historic
sites. Most don't even have a clue as to how to use & interpret the
historical
documentary record, much less the artifacts, etc. found on site.
Sorry, one of my pet peeves.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Marsha K. King, Archeologist II
Environmental Services Section
Bureau of Design
Kansas Department of Transportation
700 SW Harrison Street
Topeka, KS 66603-3754
785-296-8414
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mary C.
Beaudry
Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 2:48 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Marco Polo/Cologne
>>But in a real world context, we cannot be
experts in all things, and in Massachusetts, at least, someone with my
training and skill sets would not be able to get a permit to excavate a
prehistoric site because I lack the necessary experience and expertise (and
hence don't meet the Sec of Interior guidelines mirrored in state law).<<
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