when was the last time you read an archaeological report from cover to cover?

[Wax]

Writing for particular audiences requires a knowledge of that audience and what is appropriate language to use. Appropriate language is not dumbing down. Personally I feel that if something cannot be written in language that an intelligent 12 year old would understand then perhaps the concepts that are being dealt with are either being overly complicated in terms of the language used or are outside of the grasp of your intelligent 12 year old. Do not underestimate the ability of children to understand concepts if the right language is used. archaeological reports are written for an audience who understand the jargon and to meet a particular purpose. If they are to go to a wider audience then they need to take a totally different form as a supplement to but not a replacement for the more traditional report.

[kevin wooldridge]

....that would be a definite no Kevin. Most are 50% synthesis anyway. They do keep BAR in business though so they can't be all bad.

Shame cos I was going to plug a really good one I read from cover to cover this past weekend....that's available online as well.....for free....and its really good...and although it's about Norwegian rock carvings, its written in English...and its free...

[Wax]

I would read a report or dissertation on rock carvings ( Norwegian or otherwise) especially if it was for free, so where is it then?

[RedEarth]

if we are only writing this boring stuff for each other we wont have a future
our purpose needs to be more than maintaining employment in an indifferent world
why should everybody else pay for us if we cant give them anything they can see as either interesting or useful (calling punters dumb if they dont get it - wont cut it)
there has to be an appreciation that we cant keep churning out endless reports that nobody will ever read or we are doomed (i tell ya - doomed)

and as for archives - there is no future there for dead sure

This just sounds like dumb down to justify our existence...

Perhaps all those boring museum curators should allow punters to handle all the artefacts and replace the signs with ones reading 'old stuff' and stop 'doing things properly' because it's only for their own benefit and the benefit of visiting museum curators.

Perhaps universities should add juggling and fire eating to every course just to liven it up a bit, after all what's the point of the the boring fusty gits teaching properly.

Perhaps all books should be forced to have a one page summary, to make it easy for everyone.

The point of these reports is not to change the world, or entertain, it is to present the results of the work for future reference. Some will be a bit boring, some might be quite interesting, some will initially appear boring only for their importance to become apparent later, some will languish in an archive somewhere before being rediscovered. If archaeologists don't realise this then we loose our very purpose and we are certainly doomed.

[kevin wooldridge]

I would read a report or dissertation on rock carvings ( Norwegian or otherwise) especially if it was for free, so where is it then?

https://bora.uib.no/bitstream/1956/4970/...aterie.pdf

[Wax]

Thanks for the link Kevin . Fantastic first paragraph, I shall make it this months reading.

[Dinosaur]

post one and let's see

As I think Jack's already warned people on another thread, there's about to be around 1000 dumped on the web for your delectation (assume that was what all the .pdf-ing was about), that do you for a bit of light bedtime reading? All you had to do was ask! :face-kiss:

[Dinosaur]

As I think Jack's already warned people on another thread....

Apologies, actually it was on page 1 of this thread, am definitely losing it slowly :0

[vulpes]

it's about Norwegian rock carvings, its written in English...and its free...

Oh, in that case I'll at least have a look at the pictures. :face-approve:

[P Prentice]

Writing for particular audiences requires a knowledge of that audience and what is appropriate language to use. Appropriate language is not dumbing down. Personally I feel that if something cannot be written in language that an intelligent 12 year old would understand then perhaps the concepts that are being dealt with are either being overly complicated in terms of the language used or are outside of the grasp of your intelligent 12 year old. Do not underestimate the ability of children to understand concepts if the right language is used. archaeological reports are written for an audience who understand the jargon and to meet a particular purpose. If they are to go to a wider audience then they need to take a totally different form as a supplement to but not a replacement for the more traditional report.

almost agree with you for once wax - my point is that they need to go to a wider audience so that the wider audience can understand what they are, and they are, paying for. the traditional report is not fit for purpose unless it is published