You can always rely on Ned Heite to say something interesting... 
Do I ever feel chastised!

Ned wrote:
>>I have never seen a site devoid of valuable information. Sorry fellows.

So EVERY site is important, eh? No wonder you have so much trouble with the
government's reviews.

>>The ironworking industry changed every year
>>during the nineteenth century.

No argument with me on this one. But I think you miss the point. My initial
question was (1) can
*archaeology* help us understand these changes and (2)  if so, how? How
will digging the foundation
of a cupola or a casting floor help us to crack the mysteries of the old
timey foundries? 

If there's valuable info to be had, let's go dig! I don't want to write off
these sites and have been known
to look out of the window of my ivory tower just long enough to defend
them. But I also want to be critical 
in my decisions. The alternative scenario is that (1) we archaeologists
lose all credibility with client, officials, and public, (2) eventually
someone in authority catches on and (3)...

         FIZZ-VROOMM

(that's the sound of legislation getting repealed followed by Ned driving
Baby the Land Rover down to
the unemployment office).

>>But if you just want to dig by the formula, to put another notch on your
Marshalltown

Ah ha! There's the problem. It's all a *cultural* misunderstanding: My
trowel's a WHS -- a limey brand; you can
wear it down, but you can't break it.

Happy digging,

Adrian Praetzellis
Sonoma State University