6th November 2008, 10:52 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by mercenary
Quote:quote:but sometimes it would be nice to actually allow archaeologists to use their brains and common sense rather than assuming they'll take shortcuts if left to themselves.
Curators must be a different breed where you work. The ones I know don't delve that deeply into the methodology, presumably because thay trust us to record in an appropriate way. I may be wrong.
Then again if the archs are muppets they are likely to attract dogmatic monitoring. Funny how curators use their own common sense about the companies they are monitoring.
Some do use common sense, and I enjoy working in their areas (because I haven't just worked in one area of the country in the past 20+ years!). What I meant was not a critisism of curators, actually, but making the point that methodologies should develop (iterative approach anyone?) based on what you are actually finding/seeing. That's the whole ethos of MAP2/MoRPHE for post-excavation, but it needs to apply for the excavation part too. And I didn't say it shouldn't be AGREED with all parties.