28th March 2011, 04:51 PM
I like reading these forum threads in the afternoon - gets the brain going after the tea starts to wear off.
In terms of why archaeology matters: there is an economic argument that is set out from time to time; there is a social argument that relates to well-being, identity, respect and community; there is an academic argument - archaeology is 'good to think' and a good context for learning in general; and uncovering the past is exciting and fun
In terms of being pithy, I was wondering how another discipline might answer the question - e.g. architecture, medicine, anthropology, literature, physics? One of the positive things about archaeology is that it touches on lots of other aspects, and while that makes it harder to justify in a sentence, I think it taps into much broader questions about being human that can be celebrated.
Jeff
In terms of why archaeology matters: there is an economic argument that is set out from time to time; there is a social argument that relates to well-being, identity, respect and community; there is an academic argument - archaeology is 'good to think' and a good context for learning in general; and uncovering the past is exciting and fun
In terms of being pithy, I was wondering how another discipline might answer the question - e.g. architecture, medicine, anthropology, literature, physics? One of the positive things about archaeology is that it touches on lots of other aspects, and while that makes it harder to justify in a sentence, I think it taps into much broader questions about being human that can be celebrated.
Jeff