Below is a working abstract for the session on the historian/archaeologist
debate to be presented SHA 2000.  Please contact me asap if you are
interested in participating.
Thanks,
Mary Ellin

Historians and Archaeologists

Archaeologists have, in recent years, focused on making our work relevant
to a larger audience.  Most of these efforts have been aimed at the
"general public," but what of other academic disciplines?  Clearly, we need
to make an effort to make historical archaeology relevant to other
disciplines, such as history.  What is the best way to do this?  Should we
attempt to do it all or enlist interested scholars from other fields?
Should our research focus on being cross-disciplinary, interdisciplinary,
multidisciplinary, or collaborative?  Or, should we just be ourselves,
focus on telling the best "stories" we can, and expect interest to follow?
This session presents a variety of opinions on the ways historical
archaeologists do and ought to work with historians and gain a broader
audience for our research into the past.

Note:  This is currently directed at the relationship between historians
and archaeologists, since this relationship is fraught with tension. It can
be revised if any participants want to deal with other disciplines. Some
alternate titles for the session include:

Archaeology, History, and Studying the Past
Archaeologists and Academic Others
Historians and Archaeologists:  Collaboration or Competition?
Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary, or Uni-disciplinary?
Disciplinarity

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*  Dr. Mary Ellin D'Agostino                                              *
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