Any big news?

[deepdigger]

It might!
But then....!

deep

[troll]

Greetings Farmy and welcome to the site.If Archaeology needs some coverage-now is when it needs some coverage.No legislation,optional and un-policed standards, dodgy planning authorities, political agendas,developer-led archaeology, terrible standards,the consistant butchery of important heritage for profit, embarrassing pay and conditions for the profession, deliberately creating a work environment where the public are uninformed,silence from the profession`s Institute,developers can only ever be required to carry out the minimum and a booming industry in consultancies who assist the developers in carrying out the bare minimum,a competative tendering environment....
Whatever you do, please consider these:
1. Thornborough desperately needs the support of the general public and the media (on a national scale) seem to be the only body able to pull this off
2. Have a trawl through the many posts on this forum, check out the numerous BAJR links,read the Digger newsletter, visit the Rescue website and,
3. Approach Mr Hosty with a view to attending our conference?.

Whilst entertainment TV archaeology (not cross-dressing archaeologists!) has clearly been very successful in raising the profile of archaeology, perhaps a little "reality documentary-type stuff" is overdue? Of course-sprinkle in a generous dosing of sexy stuff-my favourite of recent times has to be the fluvial landscape in the UK where (from memory) over a hundred Bronze Age cremation urns where discovered.The sexy bit-(if that aint enough!) is that processed Iron was found in context with one of the urns.Blurring the boundaries of artificial chronologies! I`m sure that since ppg 16, plenty of inspiring archaeology has come up.Sadly, the work was carried out in a competative environment and further-the resulting deposition of grey literature is shelved away from the public eye.Usually, the reports are written in archaeo-speak and frequently, offer very little in the way of interpretative scope.Regional research frameworks are seldom integrated.Heritage workers of local/regional authorities are under-resourced, under-valued, tethered to the political agendas of Planning Authorities and,after recent discussion here, it seems that even their very existance is under threat.Lots to be playin with sire!

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[Sparky]

Nice one Troll. Put very well.

[Dave-Bonner]

Seconded! Especially the bit about publications, even if not quite so TV friendly.

Gizza job!!!!! ....please!!!!!

[deepdigger]

Yes. I'm with the Troll on this, as usual!!

deep

[BAJR Host]

Right on!

Another day another WSI?

[troll]

Camden Town Peoples Popular Front.
p.s Don`t wish to sound unfriendly to TVs-no heels on site tho..
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

[Tim]

Sanliurfa in Turkey is huge. Only 1% has been excavated. There are large stone circles with "reversed fishhook" menhirs. These "temples" were deliberately "put out of use". The most important archaeological find in years - we will have to rethink early post glacial human society and organisation in middle east and Europe.

The Pre Sumerian "Aratta" civilisation found in Iran in the last few years (the oldest ziggarats/pyramids, writing etc)

The Bronze age "Oasis civilisation" found in Kazakstan

Pre dynastic Egypt/the sahara - the new archaeological el Dorado in those late glacial and early post glacial (now dried up)watercourses and oases. Vast quantities of stuff mostly unknown by the archaeological world. Much has been found recently in Libya during oil and water prospection and pipeline construction.

Little Tim