Date sent: 22-JAN-1996 21:19:46
This thread had gone back and forth on the list for some time-
probably as long as the list has existed... and I've been a subscriber that
long. ;)
Regardless, the debate between historians versus archaeologists,
especially in the area of Historical Archaeology seems to me as an academic
turf war. Perhaps because as yet I do not have a postgraduate degree, and
my opinions are not as yet "entrenched" or shaped by the archaeolgical
discipline (I plan on getting my PhD in Historical Archaeology after my MA)-
or even the historical.
Luckily as an undergraduate I had some sort of direction as to what
I wanted to do, which developed over time into Historical Archaeology, from
just in-general archaeology. I made a point to get training both- it was a
priority. I majored in both Anthropology AND History, and have done both
historical archival research within HA, archaeological fieldwork, and lab
work. I must add that lab work isn't always my favorite. ;)
My point here is that, because of my grounding in both, I would
suggest that saying that historians have no idea what's going on, because
they have no training in material culture is, on an intellectual level,
silly. Moreover, saying that archaeologists are equally clueless about the
past is silly as well. On a practical level, people who have trained
exclusively as archaeologists may not have up-to-par documentary research
skills- archaeologists train differently than historians. This is the
nature of the beast. Likewise, historians, unless properly trained in
archaeologial method and theory, shouldn't be allowed to go excavate
anything more than their backyard. I should think many of the newcomers to
the field have cross-trained as I have, and as I will continue to. I hope
that discussions like this will become moot, because people who are interested
in HA will have trained and will be grounded in both historical and
archaeological method and theory.
Historians have no more right to say that their reconstructions of
the past have any more "truth" to them than archaeologists, and vice-versa.
When a historan does research, he or she picks and chooses what to use in
their reconstruction. No historical work or thesis can legitimately say
that it rests on perfect truth. Neither can the archaeologist. The
archaeological record is only complete in a perfect world, and *all*
conclusions are open to interpretation and criticism. In both disciplines
truth is an ever-elusive concept.
Both disciplines attempt to paint a picture of the past, but one
that is a reconstruction, that is certainly flawed in some fashion, and may
even be completely false. My vision of the practice of Historical
Archaeology, and how I will practice it when I finish school sometime in
the distant future, is a holistic one, using both disciplines. Sometimes
the historical record can lead you to clues in the archaeological, and
either one can confirm or refute the other. Hopefully through having a foot
in both disciplines, we can construct a more perfect picture of what
actually happened in the past, how better to interpret the material remains
we do find in the archaeological record, and how to use archaeological
methods and theory to better interpret the documentary historical record.
In short, we're all on the same side. One discipline telling the
other that they've got it wrong, and are ill-equipped to do their jobs
won't help the historical archaeology movement, and it certainly won't help
historical archaeology as a method of holistically reconstructing the past-
if only because the practicioners aren't being holistic.
Perhaps people will disagree with me. Perhaps I'm just wasting my
time and bandwidth, or perhaps (Heaven forbid) some will agree, but this is
my two cents on the issue. I've seen this thread come and go too many times
not to comment.
Reagrds,
Jason Menard
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Jason Menard "Never doubt that a small group of
Depts. of Anthropology & History thoughtful, committed citizens can change
Computing Support Lab Staff the world; indeed, it's the only thing
SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY that ever does." - Margaret Mead
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