New Hampshire Bans Digging... Starting Now?

[bearswede]

Archeologists deal with all kinds of artifacts, termed "material culture"... Physical Anthropologists deal specifically with human and/or related non-human remains...

Ron

 

[bearswede]

You are exactly, Trog... One of the reasons archeologists prefer to wait until they have more money and better tools to extract essential information from a site... The number one thing you learn when studying archeology is that you are engaging in destruction... The trick is to do it systematically and in the framework of theory...

Ron

 

[annie44]

Thanks for your comments, Ron.

 

[bearswede]

Cindy, Kelly...

Thanks for taking the time and courtesy to reply... There's definitely a need to strive for balance here...But there are those who only see what they want to see...

Happy holidays to all forums members and their families!!!!!!!!!

Ron

 

[capsoda]

Well said Bill and Ron. I am a bottle digger/collector and I have dug for bottles with some archy types. One of my favorite diggin buds was an archy. He has passed quite a few years ago but was a passionate digger/collector and he kept a balance going in the comminuty. He was replaced by a theiving, coniving little witch who stole many many archeoligicaly important items and sold them on ebay of all places. She is now paying for her trans gressions in prison.

I beleive that this guy is wrong and is not one of the good guys. If he were he would be tring to save something great and not woring about a dump that is of no real use archeoligically.

 

[zanes_antiques]

It is knowledge and not a piece of paper that determines who is an archeologist. I'm sure there has been plenty learned from people without a degree. In the same token I believe there has been plenty destroyed and squandered by those with a degree. In my travels, growing up with a father who collected Indian Relics, I have seen academics who were better off keeping their mouth's shut. How many great finds have been made by the amature compared to those made by the pro's. A Degree is given to the person who graduates last in his class as well as first in his class. The ones who become City employed are probably somewhere in the bottom of that barrel. I for one do not have a degree in local history but I bet I have read more and have retained more than many who call themselves "Professionals"!

 

[Gunsmoke47]

I have had the rewarding experience of working with three different archeologists on six different occasions. The three I have worked with were anal in the recovery of artifacts as they should be, because that is their job. That is what they do. They take dirt off ten centimeters at a time, and map in profiles one meter square. They do this to try and figure out or understand what was taking place 100 years, 1000 years or 10,000 years ago. It doesn't matter if you were Pharoh's daughter, the limb off of George Washington's cherry tree or Joe Blow's flask in a privy.
To some archys, people like us are just potters. But to other archys, people like us are a godsend. We help them because they are so understaffed. To group all archeologist into one category would be as stupid as to group unethical a-hole bottle diggers in with the responsible bottle diggers that constitute the majority of this forum. Please don't slam all archeologist over this quote by some ignorant professional in New Hampshire.
Tiger: If you want to get up close and observe what the archys do...volunteer. You won't get to keep anything that you find, but you will see the amount of work that is involved.
Zane: You are correct about learned people without a degree...I am one of them. I am active in the recovery of Indian artifacts, both historic and pre-historic, as well as military and glass artifacts.
I am not on a soap-box here, I will dig a privy, dump, or pit and keep my finds as long as it is legal. I also gps, log, and document all my finds.
Please just don't group all professionals in the same category as this idiot from New Hampshire. Happy Diggin and Happy Holidays to you all, Kelley[]

 

[bearswede]

Dean...

In Massachusetts the process is generally quite open... Unless there is concern about the site being vandalized, state and university sponsored excavations are open to the public... Umass most years does a field school in Old Deerfield, a well-preserved colonial community, and the public is invited to visit and ask questions... Every year the Massachusetts Historical Commission sponsors Archeology Week... A whole host of programs takes place in various towns and cities across the state, all open to the public...

Ron

 

[bearswede]

Hey, Kelly... Nicely put...

Have you had a chance to do any excavations or surveys lately?

Ron

 

[Gunsmoke47]

Hey Ron, the week after Thanksgiving I was invited to a week long survey on Mackenzie's Indian Wars battle of Palo Duro Canyon. We started this survey back in March. We only got to participate 3 of the scheduled 5 days due to inclimate weather. In the 3 days we amassed about 100 more artifacts but nothing that would knock your socks off. Happy Holidays, Kelley