I've been following the historian/archaeology discussion and when Mary Ellin
suggested that archaeologists need to get more involved, I just HAD to throw
in my two cents worth: I recently read a very interesting article, which
unfortunately, I can't lay my hands on right now, that discussed how
academic historians are almost totally uninvolved in preservation issues.
Mostly, its the archectural historians than get involved in CRM, historic
districts and the like. The "true" historian seldom gets involved (in USA).
To be fair, I should mention that this article gave several good reasons why
historians are unintersted in the historic preservation movement. ( I'll
try to locate this article and cite it later on the list cause it was very
interesting reading)
Anyway, while I was reading this, the light bulb when on in my head. Over
many years, I have been involved in a number of "good causes" - efforts to
save cultural resources. Almost always fellow archaeologists are willing to
give some of their time and resources to help save important resources in
our state and to so some public outreach. My historian friends always ask
for speaking engagement fees or are just too busy with their latest book.
However, I have to CONSTANTLY listen to their jealous rages about vast
amounts of public monies being sucked up by archaeologists through CRM
projects. While they rant on, my mind always wanders to the bedtime story
about the animals that would not help do the work to store food away for the
winter, but then wanted to reap the profits of the hard work.
So, as I read Mary Ellins plea for more involvement, my immediate reaction
was that, by comparison, we archaeologists have always been more engaged
with the public - simply because we share a common interest in the historic
"stuff" around us. And in this post-processual world, knowing and serving
our audience is a good thing. So how about a big listserve group hug! eh?
<g>
Linda Derry ([log in to unmask])
Old Cahawba Archaeological Park
Alabama Historical Commission
>This is a very interesting issue that I have been struggling with for some
>time. I beleive that we (anthropological and Historical archaeologists)
>need to work on making our findings of interest to a larger audience. In
>this, I include both the "public" and "academic" sectors. As many of you
>know, this is one of the major issues that the AAA has been struggling with
>over the past year or two (see the AAA Newsletter). With the increasing
>popularity of "cultural studies," it is very interesting indeed that
>Anthropology has not had a higher presence in the public discussion(s).
>
>In the same vein, historical archaeologists should be making our work
>relevant to other disciplines such as history. The increasing interest in
>material culture studies among historians is promising, but *we* are going
>to have to promote historical archaeology to them. The point about
>interacting with professional historians is well taken. Obviously, we need
>to target historians with similar interests (and there is a truely huge
>variety of historians out there).
>
>As for publishing in journals historians read, this is difficult to do
>since these journals are refereed by historians and one has to make it past
>the "peer review" process and the disciplines do not speak quite the same
>language or have the same goals. When an anthropologist or historical
>archaeologist reads a history work, we are often reading a very different
>book than historians are reading. Unfortunately, despite the claims by many
>historians and historical societies, interdisciplinary is usually taken to
>mean that a non-historian has to master both his/her own field as well as
>that of history. Historians often judge HA writings by their own
>disciplinary yardstick and expectations. I think that historical
>archaeologists tend to be more open to accepting works with different goals
>(anthropological or historical) because we deal with the subject matter of
>both disciplines on a day to day basis.
>
>Cheers,
>Mary Ellin
>
>
>Mary Ellin D'Agostino
>[log in to unmask]
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