Jim Chase wrote:

>There is no single thing, tool, or technique  which is more important than any
>other-be it artifact, stratigraphy ceramics, context, or whatever. The entire
>place, including it's location, is an artifact. An artifact being something
>which is the product of human behavior. Modern archaeology, including the
>Historic variety, is concerned with people and their behavior. We want to know
>who, what, where,  when, how, and why the people occupying a place did what
they
>did. Archaeology is not about artifacts, or stratigraphy, or ceramics.
These are
>all tools we use to answer the basic questions about human behavior posed
above.
>If the artifact, stratigraphy, ceramics are (or is) the primary interest
then we
>are no better, or farther along, than the Antiquarians of the last century.

Amen, Jim Chase.

                Lucy Wayne