... and there's the question of archaeology as a process which, for me at Greenham and with the Van, and my current work with Rachael Kiddey on homelessness and in Malta, is far more significant than what we actually found out. Certainly for our street homeless participants, the process of doing archaeology is interesting and usually unlike anything they've done before, and it's a distraction from the routine of the everyday. Archaeology as a way of doing, looking and thinking causes them to think, and see the familiar in new light, and question the traces the people leave behind. And we have made this journey together, which they have clearly enjoyed. We probably won't make any great discoveries (although there are some very interesting outcomes/results - see a forthcoming British Archaeology piece), but certainly in the work I do, it is more about doing it, and involving people in that process, than what we discover along the way. If that makes sense.
And related (if I may): To hear a slightly anarchic radio show which I did with Rachael and some street homeless co-presenters, you can listen in next Monday 14 September - if OFCOM allow us to repeat it! You can listen through the 10 Radio website (www.10radio.org), or through iPlayer (Go to Radio > Eclectic > 10 Radio) or via our own www.varmintshow.net website. It's on at 10 pm for two hours. It will also appear on the 'Varmints Vaults' (Varmints website) in a few weeks time.
J
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion List for Contemporary and Historical Archaeology [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of pmgb
Sent: 07 September 2009 11:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CHA] Archy of 60s commune near San Francisco
I note this also elicited some sceptical comment. It seems, as others
have noted, that people can't get their heads around the idea that
archaeology can tell us things we didn't know about contemp soc. "its
all obvious" any yet presumably they don't say this about sociological,
psychological or economic studies. This could either be that they don't
think it through, that its just that archaeology is blandly categorised
as something of the remote past (how remote is legitimate?), or maybe
artefactual evidence is regarded as entirely common sense explicable?
P G-B
Megan McCullen wrote:
> Just saw this article about excavations at a 1960s commune north of
> San Francisco.
>
> http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/2154527.html
>
>
> -megan
>
> ------------------------------------------
> Megan M. McCullen
> Doctoral Candidate
> Michigan State University
> Department of Anthropology
> 354 Baker Hall
> East Lansing, MI 48824
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.msu.edu/~mccull58
>
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