21st May 2009, 10:53 PM
For me- its the soils and stratigraphy. Instead of whats your favourite artefact, how about whats your favourite "stuff"? Archaeology, chemistry, physics etc etc is all about stuff.
To echo 1Mans post, I once found a beautiful early Iron Age brooch pin (8cms long) by impaling myself with it. I was in a deep trench when I walked backwards into the section face. Unfortunately for me, the pin was sticking out of the section and went in about an inch below my left bum cheek to a depth of about 5cm. Even the construction employees were shocked by my high pitched profanity. I suppose I was luckier than 1Man in the sense that I can claim the discovery before my voracious colleagues. Strangley though, even though the pin was beautiful, my colleagues did`nt want to hold it...
Anyhoo- for me, archaeology is stratigraphy. Nothing more and nothing less. Events, phases and narratives. Pure sexiness.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
To echo 1Mans post, I once found a beautiful early Iron Age brooch pin (8cms long) by impaling myself with it. I was in a deep trench when I walked backwards into the section face. Unfortunately for me, the pin was sticking out of the section and went in about an inch below my left bum cheek to a depth of about 5cm. Even the construction employees were shocked by my high pitched profanity. I suppose I was luckier than 1Man in the sense that I can claim the discovery before my voracious colleagues. Strangley though, even though the pin was beautiful, my colleagues did`nt want to hold it...
Anyhoo- for me, archaeology is stratigraphy. Nothing more and nothing less. Events, phases and narratives. Pure sexiness.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)