Archaeology's crossroad; working together or striding apart?

[BAJR]

knowledge and public access are mutually reinforcing

Absolutely. and this is the point that has to be made, and fired across the sky in 100ft high letters.

I think we know the value of our knowledge, we could do a much better job of disseminating it and communicating with those who are interested in it

Which I would say, many are not allowed to, whether they want to or not. Even if we do understadn it, as you say, we (often) fail to communicate it. THere are of course many occasions for commercial work enlightening us all, but there is no reason to see ourselves as heritage heroes.

I have said it many time and will say it again. Commercial archaeology should embrace what it is.... Temporal Contamination Removal.

Make money, and get what you can... but as you see in other threads, the Minerals lobby is getting unhappy - the we don't owe you a job mentality which I encountered twice today with two clients - and fair enough, this is money... not knowledge, and it is their money.

I now carry out work which is of benefit to people. Yup... archaeology that is fun and useful... (currently, a Walled Garden, a Primary SChool garden with a hillfort and rigs, a year long festival of art, archaeology and ecology, a film project and a field school) It is pure knowledge, but pure useful. And I often get paid.

Thanks for adding to the discussion GPStone.

I actually agree with much of what you write, but feel archaeology needs to re-examine its heart.