11th February 2012, 01:19 PM
Well I gave Ancient Trenches a go, but it is typical of this type of website and this kind of speculation.
The biggest problem is that there are far too many unsustainable assertions littering the text. Mainly I got the impression the author is well meaning, but has had very little critical feedback, not on their thoughts or ideas, but on an ordered way in which to promote and support a premise and from that suggest a hypothesis. I counted 9 unsustained assertions in the first 21 lines of text. Failing to reference any serious archaeological research upon which their premise is based is one thing. Referencing any number of 'publications' or web-sites clearly produced by lunatics is another! Again mixing metaphors, chronologies, fact and fiction are the kind of errors that I suspect occur because the author had not been critically schooled in the ways of presenting an argument that is deserving of academic attention.
That said, what did I think of the main thrust of the authors theory, overlooking the petty details of presentation or attribution? Ummmm.....I don't think it is sustainable. The author should go away and read something by say Richard Bradley to have some idea of the complexity of the relationship between ritual and the common-place and maybe the works of Jez Bentham to understand where the term 'utiiitarian' comes from!! They also need to understand how modern day concepts such as 'trade' cannot be applied uncritically to earlier societies or cultures. The militaristic aspect of the piece (rocks make good things to hide behind) is probably more appropriate to mid 20th century cowboy movies. I suspect also that the author may have spent far too much time reading Lord of the Rings.....
That said I have recently heard a not dissimilar perspective on the subject voiced on Time Team by someone claiming to be a professor of archaeology, so maybe this is about to become mainstream and us diehard non-believer uber-critical archaeologists will be dismissed to the unsunny side of the spoil-heap where the naughty and unattractive boys and girls are sent to play - of course other BAJRites may (will) have other views.
The biggest problem is that there are far too many unsustainable assertions littering the text. Mainly I got the impression the author is well meaning, but has had very little critical feedback, not on their thoughts or ideas, but on an ordered way in which to promote and support a premise and from that suggest a hypothesis. I counted 9 unsustained assertions in the first 21 lines of text. Failing to reference any serious archaeological research upon which their premise is based is one thing. Referencing any number of 'publications' or web-sites clearly produced by lunatics is another! Again mixing metaphors, chronologies, fact and fiction are the kind of errors that I suspect occur because the author had not been critically schooled in the ways of presenting an argument that is deserving of academic attention.
That said, what did I think of the main thrust of the authors theory, overlooking the petty details of presentation or attribution? Ummmm.....I don't think it is sustainable. The author should go away and read something by say Richard Bradley to have some idea of the complexity of the relationship between ritual and the common-place and maybe the works of Jez Bentham to understand where the term 'utiiitarian' comes from!! They also need to understand how modern day concepts such as 'trade' cannot be applied uncritically to earlier societies or cultures. The militaristic aspect of the piece (rocks make good things to hide behind) is probably more appropriate to mid 20th century cowboy movies. I suspect also that the author may have spent far too much time reading Lord of the Rings.....
That said I have recently heard a not dissimilar perspective on the subject voiced on Time Team by someone claiming to be a professor of archaeology, so maybe this is about to become mainstream and us diehard non-believer uber-critical archaeologists will be dismissed to the unsunny side of the spoil-heap where the naughty and unattractive boys and girls are sent to play - of course other BAJRites may (will) have other views.
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...