Are we to consign the Digger to history as it has been over a year since the last issue. I feel most of what was covered in the Digger is now covered on this site and perhaps the Digger was a product of its time and that now perhaps it is time to say cheerio. Perhaps the archaeological version of the "Stig" should reveal his or her true identity. So we can all go OHHH it was HIM!!!!



Close enough for a country job!

Just been reading a few posts on Britarch and other archaeological forums regarding conservation and other areas related to archaeology.

How do archaeologist way up the balance of what to save and not what to save. I mean one post is about land covered with waste products from mining. This waste has to go somewhere!
As a member of the general public, sometimes people within archaeology care more for the past that they do for the future.
This is not meant in a negative way (I'm not very literate so find it difficult to explain what I mean)... but human race also needs to move forward, the farmer needs to grow his food, people need places to live as the population expands and roads need to be built to cater for the expansion.

Hope you understand what I mean.
Thanks

Gary

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk
Recording OUR heritage for future generations.

Can anyone help me?

1) Does anyone know where the following archaeologists are buried?

Mortimer Wheeler
Kathryn Kenyon
Flinders Petrie
V Gordon Childe
General Pitt Rivers

2) Does anyone know if there is any truth to the story that Petrie's head and a significant 'body part' are preserved somewhere in UCL?

They're a small clan I know, but I was once told of a Roman fort up north that stood practically right next to a local settlement for a couple of generations and not a scrap of Roman tat was found in said Hibernian enclave. If true, it adds to the interesting question of whether the Scots were too canny/stubborn/unstratified/whatever to buy into the Pax Romana like us weak Sassanachs did (after the benefits had been carefully explained at the point of a pilum). Can anyone raise this out of the level of site-hut story with a decent reference or two?

I've never bought the 'it's too cold' interpretation, and I'm suspicious of macro-economic explanations based on the distance from Rome. Personally, I favour the idea that you'd need a particular kind of leadership structure that saw benefits for itself before the extant culture opened up to Romanisation, which perhaps the residents of north Scotland, north Germany etc. were lucky enough not to develop. I am only a disgruntled old semi-Marxist prehistorian though.

Can I just ask people for the name and location of any Anglo-Saxon cemeteries excavated since 1995? Primarily early/pagan ones with inhumations. Thanks.

Careful, it might be hallucinogEeEe**33nnnn..

So, after a rather disturbing few weeks digging for a rather disturbing/disturbed director, fiancee and I did a runner and decided to don the tourist hat and visit some sites.Kition was one of those sites high on the list for a number of reasons.Primarily for us, Kition according to plans and maps appeared to be an extant Greek City State.Not something one stumbles across every day.So, off we trekked in search of said site clearly marked on a museum map/plan.As it turns out, the authorities have chosen to conserve a couple of miserably interpreted "temples" and one ship-slipway.The actual site of the City Kingdom as clearly marked on the map is now a number of hideous apartment blocks.This WAS one of only a handful of sites on the island of Cyprus where the 1300BC Greek watershed could be demonstrated and it no longer exists.Instead, the temple site has been proudly adorned with signage announcing "Ancient Kition". On this basis, perhaps we should utterly remove/destroy the entire city of York, save the Minster and adorn it with a sign announcing "this is the City of York". Since when is a temple and a slipway a city kingdom? Sad to say the very least. This sounds a bit like one of those compromises a British consultancy might make......

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

Apologies for cross-posting

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CALL FOR PAPERS

EAA 13th Annual Meeting, 18th-23rd September 2007 Zadar, Croatia

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"Investigating Archaeological Survey"

With a tradition stretching back over 300 years, archaeological survey and investigation deserves a definitive place within archaeological and historical research. Its multi-disciplinary approach not only provides greater understanding of sites and their landscapes, but it also offers a comprehensive and cost-effective evaluation for projects. However, despite the recognised value of landscape archaeology within the heritage sector, this valuable and versatile specialism is often overlooked.

For this session I would like to invite individuals to come and promote this unique discipline and its contribution towards archaeological research. With increasing emphasis upon landscape approaches and non-intrusive techniques, earthwork survey and interpretation has the potential to become a fundamental method within archaeological practice and enter the mainstream. With the help of case studies, large and small, this session intends to facilitate the liberation of archaeological survey from the margins of research and advocate its importance to an international audience. There will also be added emphasis upon international contributions for it is currently believed that this specialism is essentially a British contribution towards archaeological research. Hopefully this session will either dispel the myth or encourage its expansion outside of the UK.

Whether you specialise in intrusive or non-intrusive techniques, academia or commercial archaeology, this session is intended to appeal to all. Its focus upon holistic approaches should encourage a healthy dialogue between different disciplines and specialists. Papers already accepted include contributions from the UK, Greece and Scandinavia - so please come and join us!

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Session Organiser : Kate Page-Smith, BA (Hons), MA, PIFA.

Thematic Block : Archaeology and the Modern World: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives

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For further information please visit the website; http://www.unizd.hr/eaa2007/Programme/Th...fault.aspx

Or contact Kate Page-Smith on kpagesmith@hotmail.com

A cautionary tale for those of you who fancy a bit of digging abroad.Have just finished "digging" on a Chalcolithic site where the director (a classisist) showed about as much professionalism as an undergraduate custard maker. Was probably the most frustrating project I have ever been stupid enough to take part in.In short-utterly incompetent field methodology and a myopic hunt (through layers) in an attempt to locate "structures". Laughable recording system and hoardes of bewildered undergrads banned from learning anything or recording anything as "thats not what they are here for...". Seriously guys, a step straight back into the days of "two barrows before breakfast dear boy...". Hells teeth.Believe it or not, I actually cant wait to come home and dig something properly.As a hint-before committing yourself to any project abroad....have a good look at their previous excavation reports first.Having said that..am just off to sit under my favourite palm tree and wave at Syria thats only 60 miles away from the Med that my sweaty toes are about to dip into[8D]

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

Do archaeological contractor/consultants value the input, guidance and experience of the local curators?

The Devil to pay and no pitch hot

Hi Chaps
Are we entirely happy about a venture capital company employing two archaeologist directly rather than employing an archaeological contracting/consultancy. Is anybody aware of a developer employing an archaeologist as staff in any other case. It seems to me that a Miller Argent could end up employing two people with no real experience. I note that the pay scale is for a site assistant or supervisor but the nature of the work appears to be of a more senior position. Personally I'm a little worried about this and if I was the curator for the LPA I would severely concerned unless the archaeologists employed could show high levels of experience way above that implied by the pay scales offered. I would also be asking the question of why doesn't Miller Argent just employ a consultant to deal with all the heritage matters if they are as enamoured with the industrial heritage as they state.
hmmm! :face-huh:

Steven