10th November 2009, 12:04 PM
A couple of points to throw in the mixer:
1) An awful lot of archaeology is only visible to field archaeologists. All the negative features identifiable as a series of slight colour changes tend to be lost on a great number of people: non-field archaeologists; developers; curators; consultants; members of the general public. I'm not saying that there there is no value in conducting site tours for many excavations, but I've given many where you get a pretty bemused expression- you can see them thinking "I'll take your word for it". Particularly attractive sites will include a series of small walls, negative charcoal-filled features cut into yellow sand, skeletons or a combination of these.
2) Clients have many reasons for not wanting members of the general public near their developments: additional publicity; H&S (particularly insurance issues); and security.
3) Archaeologists may have plenty of reasons not to allow members of the public onto sites during excavations, such as theft, vandalism and negative publicity.
1) An awful lot of archaeology is only visible to field archaeologists. All the negative features identifiable as a series of slight colour changes tend to be lost on a great number of people: non-field archaeologists; developers; curators; consultants; members of the general public. I'm not saying that there there is no value in conducting site tours for many excavations, but I've given many where you get a pretty bemused expression- you can see them thinking "I'll take your word for it". Particularly attractive sites will include a series of small walls, negative charcoal-filled features cut into yellow sand, skeletons or a combination of these.
2) Clients have many reasons for not wanting members of the general public near their developments: additional publicity; H&S (particularly insurance issues); and security.
3) Archaeologists may have plenty of reasons not to allow members of the public onto sites during excavations, such as theft, vandalism and negative publicity.
?He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his enemy and one for himself?
Chinese Proverb
Chinese Proverb