Thanks Dan,
I think you hit the nail on the head with your comment about fieldwork.
A cultural geographer (or historian) could happily construct a tale of changing
landuse and leisure pursuits from archival evidence with no one noticing or
complaining.
But get 10 or people in a field digging holes and people want to know what they
are doing, and why.
In this case the complaints posted on the website seemed to focused in two
areas.
Some people clearly felt that this was not what archaeologists should be doing.
Arrange the following in order of perceived public approval/understanding/amd
possible public value:
-we are digging in search of an iron age settelment
-we are digging in search of a crashed WWII plane
-we are digging in search of a 1970s campsite
-we are helping the police to look for murder victims
The other objections seem to stem from our challenging economic circumstances at
present
- are these people wasting public money?
- Is this more evidence of madcap university schemes (again a drain on the
public purse). Discuss.
J.
Quoting dan Hicks <[log in to unmask]>:
> I couldn't resist a comment on Jim Symonds' post --
>
> In my recent experience 'tell me something I don't know' has been a question
> addressed
> much more commonly and explicitly by archaeologists working on the C20 than
> by early
> modern archaeologists. This need not be the case. We should remember that
> we're just a
> generation away from precisely the same concerns about the utility of
> Romano-British
> archaeology.
>
> The argument - which has been used most effectively by Marxist archaeologists
> in the US
> - that doing fieldwork provides a focus for public debate (like about climate
> change, as in
> Jim's example) can be a strong one. We might note that no-one complained when
> Lisa
> was doing oral history or archive research, so clearly fieldwork has a
> particular power for
> public debate about the past.
>
> But we all need to make the case more strongly for the value of
> archaeological
> perspectives: perspectives that cover the whole of the human past, not just
> some canon
> of great sites, themes or periods. Personally, I feel very hopeful that that
> is happening.
>
> One major challenge for those working in historical archaeology is not to
> allow
> 'contemporary archaeology' to become something different from 'historical
> archaeology'.
> It's all archaeology, and all archaeology is contemporary (which was the
> thinking behind
> the CHAT group being called 'contemporary and historical' not 'contemporary
> or
> historical').
>
> More debate on this at CHAT next month in Oxford I'm sure -- where Lisa is
> giving a
> paper and Jim will be a discussant.
>
> Which leads me to the main point -- to remind everyone that delegate
> registration is
> moving fast, and that if you want to attend (or if you're a speaker) you need
> to send in
> your registration form and payment asap -- full details are here --
> http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk/news.htm
>
> Looking forward to seeing many of you in Oxford,
>
> DH
>
>
> On Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:29:00 +0100, J Symonds <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> >I heard Lisa on Radio 4 and was impressed. The trouble is I am committed to
> >contemporary archaeology, and already believe that it is worthwhile.
> >
> >Looking at the comments posted in response to the Guardian article it is
> clear
> >that we have a long way to go before contemporary archaeology can be
> accepted
> >as a mainstream and worthwhile archaeological endeavour.
> >
> >Having said that, work at Heeley City Farm in Sheffield this summer on a
> >Victorian terraced house was able to make links to modern concerns over the
> use
> >of fossil fuels and global warming, and the need to recycle, and thereby
> gained
> >broad-based community interest and support.
> >
> >'Tell me something that I don't already know' is nevertheless still the big
> >question that needs to be countered as we push the boundaries.
> >
> >J.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Quoting dan Hicks <[log in to unmask]>:
> >
> >> For interest -- Lisa Hill's work in Forest of Dean in todays Guardian,
> also
> >> picked up with
> >> interview with Lisa on today's Radio 4 PM programme -
> >> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/outdoors/article6815635.ece
> >>
> >> DH
> >>
> >> --------------------------
> >> contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events
> >> in contemporary and historical archaeology, and
> >> for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
> >> -------
> >> For email subscription options see:
> >> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html
> >> -------
> >> Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates:
> >> http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk
> >> --------------------------
> >>
> >
> >
> >Dr James Symonds FSA FSA (Scot) MIFA
> >Director
> >Archaeological Research & Consultancy at the University of Sheffield
> (ARCUS)
> >Unit R6
> >Riverside Block
> >Sheaf Bank Business Park
> >Prospect Road
> >Sheffield S2 3EN
> >
> >Tel: ++44 (0)114 222 5106
> >Fax: ++44 (0)114 2797158
> >
> >www.sheffield.ac.uk/arcus
> >
> >--------------------------
> >contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events
> >in contemporary and historical archaeology, and
> >for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
> >-------
> >For email subscription options see:
> >http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html
> >-------
> >Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates:
> >http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk
> >--------------------------
>
>
>
>
Dr James Symonds FSA FSA (Scot) MIFA
Director
Archaeological Research & Consultancy at the University of Sheffield (ARCUS)
Unit R6
Riverside Block
Sheaf Bank Business Park
Prospect Road
Sheffield S2 3EN
Tel: ++44 (0)114 222 5106
Fax: ++44 (0)114 2797158
www.sheffield.ac.uk/arcus
--------------------------
contemp-hist-arch is a list for news and events
in contemporary and historical archaeology, and
for announcements relating to the CHAT conference group.
-------
For email subscription options see:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/contemp-hist-arch.html
-------
Visit the CHAT website for more information and for future meeting dates:
http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk
--------------------------
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