Thanks to everyone for their input, both on- and off-list. There are obviously debates surrounding all sides of this practice, and so these thoughtful responses are much appreciated. There are numerous relevant variables and values surrounding best practices in scientific method, stakeholder input, legislation, and economic/pragmatic considerations. This discussion has been very helpful in framing some of the differences, and it's clear there won't be a one-size-fits-all solution. Thanks again for a fruitful discussion.
On Friday, November 7, 2014 6:38 AM, Bill Green <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
In 1979 Bill Butler published a review of what was then referred to as the
"no-collection" strategy for survey (nobody could conceive of such a
strategy being employed in excavation) in *American Antiquity*
(44:795-799). He considered "no-collection" in regard to site integrity,
artifact analysis, pothunting, the irreplaceability of resources, and
curation. He concluded the strategy was indefensible. It would be
interesting to know how proponents of "catch-and-release" respond to these
arguments and if new rationales have been developed. (Certainly curation
issues are more acute now than they were 35 years ago.)
Bill Green
--
William Green, Ph.D., RPA
James E. Lockwood Jr. Director, Logan Museum of Anthropology
Beloit College
Beloit, WI 53511 USA
http://www.beloit.edu/logan
<http://www.facebook.com/LoganMuseum>http://www.facebook.com/LoganMuseum
http://beloit.academia.edu/WilliamGreen
608-363-2119
Fax 608-363-7144
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