16th August 2005, 10:31 PM
Well, Schliemann seems to have been fairly successful! 
Never actually worked with classicists in the field but I am fairly convinced that most archaeologists should not be let loose with textual sources because they lack the analytical toolkit required to interpret said texts. As a result they tend to accept the texts at face value or dismiss them out of hand. One example is the Icelandic sagas. These were originally assumed to be wholly historical documents. Then there was a reaction to this and they were dismissed as being wholly fictional. I think most people have now come round to the view that they are true in part and fictional in part but also that they are important texts that, when interpreted appropriately, can enable an understanding of how Icelandic and Norse history was created. Following on from the interpretation of the sagas as fiction or fact, Icelandic archaeology has been dominated by the desire to identify saga sites on the ground, which is a fairly daft way of going about things IMO.
Cheers,
Eggbasket
Eggy by name, eggy by nature
Never actually worked with classicists in the field but I am fairly convinced that most archaeologists should not be let loose with textual sources because they lack the analytical toolkit required to interpret said texts. As a result they tend to accept the texts at face value or dismiss them out of hand. One example is the Icelandic sagas. These were originally assumed to be wholly historical documents. Then there was a reaction to this and they were dismissed as being wholly fictional. I think most people have now come round to the view that they are true in part and fictional in part but also that they are important texts that, when interpreted appropriately, can enable an understanding of how Icelandic and Norse history was created. Following on from the interpretation of the sagas as fiction or fact, Icelandic archaeology has been dominated by the desire to identify saga sites on the ground, which is a fairly daft way of going about things IMO.
Cheers,
Eggbasket
Eggy by name, eggy by nature