22nd February 2011, 01:54 PM
I was hoping we could generate an open discussion on it. I'm not suggesting that we look at the potential for archaeology as a discipline or a commercial concept within the current scope of the commercial field. I suppose its blue-sky thinking in a way, and shouldn't really be focused on what 'we' want. Again, I think we all know the rough range of things we want in our current guise, this is about alternative ideas, not simply pushing forward within the parameters of commercial archaeology (we can do that anyway and I hope we will).
And with regard to public views on archaeology, its within our power as archaeologists to develop and change the concept of what it is, what we do and the uses of it as we see fit or want to explore. This is all hypothetical in that sense.
The issue of self respect isn't. Its precisely that lack of it that prevents us from exploring new ideas and pushing boundaries, but the reality is that we are at the whim of developers. If the development lobby was to decide to make a concerted effort to remove archaeology from the list of planning requirements, most of us would be out of a job (or out of our current jobs as archaeologists in the commercial field, at any rate) unless we could fight it using public and academic support. But again, that's a different issue, we can start a new thread on that one.
And with regard to public views on archaeology, its within our power as archaeologists to develop and change the concept of what it is, what we do and the uses of it as we see fit or want to explore. This is all hypothetical in that sense.
The issue of self respect isn't. Its precisely that lack of it that prevents us from exploring new ideas and pushing boundaries, but the reality is that we are at the whim of developers. If the development lobby was to decide to make a concerted effort to remove archaeology from the list of planning requirements, most of us would be out of a job (or out of our current jobs as archaeologists in the commercial field, at any rate) unless we could fight it using public and academic support. But again, that's a different issue, we can start a new thread on that one.