3rd June 2010, 06:33 PM
For me archaeology has always been about exploring what it is to be human (both on a personal and broader level). Part of the great philosophical musing of what we are, where we've been and possibly where we are going (In my case to sign on lol).
Whether archaeology can prove anything is a mute point, because the answer would depend on what you are trying to prove!? On one level we can prove what resources people in the past had and on the basis of this perhaps glean something as to what it was like to live in different times (and spaces), but beyond this we can say very little with certainty.
I think this has the potential to be a very interesting thread, because I'm sure many people involved have never addressed this question. So given the premiss that archaeology in the final analysis can prove nothing why do we pursue the activity? I'm sure we'll get some choice reasoning from some of BAJR's more notable characters (you know who you are lol)
Whether archaeology can prove anything is a mute point, because the answer would depend on what you are trying to prove!? On one level we can prove what resources people in the past had and on the basis of this perhaps glean something as to what it was like to live in different times (and spaces), but beyond this we can say very little with certainty.
I think this has the potential to be a very interesting thread, because I'm sure many people involved have never addressed this question. So given the premiss that archaeology in the final analysis can prove nothing why do we pursue the activity? I'm sure we'll get some choice reasoning from some of BAJR's more notable characters (you know who you are lol)