Archaeology, human remains and the media

[ross_k]

Ok, before my major beef, I'll admit it...I do watch Time Team (sometimesB). Anyway, the other day I saw an episode in which they were excavating an early Anglo-Saxon cemetery in a supposed heritage site. They had only just found some skellies towards the end of their dig and were rushing to lift them...the next thing you know, one of their regulars is jamming a trowel under various bones and wrenching the things out of the ground, apparently in an attempt to recover any possible grave goods before time ran out. Now I'm sure Time Team has been trashed to death in this forum (I'm a newbie here), but WTF? Is it really a good public presentation of archaeology that human remains are seen to be treated with such contempt, merely because there may be some 'treasure' in association?
Maybe I'm being petty, but as (somewhat) of an osteoarchaeologist, I was stunned. Any thoughts?

[Gog]

A blanket condemnation of everything TT is probably all that is required where Channel 4's annual buffoon fest is concerned - there is so much to choose from. Apart from Stewart Ainsworth - i think his press-ups technique for spotting subtle earthworks is the only useful thing I've ever heard from the whole show (but don't do it fields full of cattle without checking the ground first - Ychafi)

[ross_k]

I agree. I must give up watching it. I seem to find myself watching in when not in archaeological work and it only serves to dumbfound me with every new episode.

[muddyandcold]

Didn't see the episode in question. However, skellies do not take that long to excavate. A compentant, experienced digger should be able to dig/record two skellies a day. It may look rough, but hey we are professionals. One of the market leaders in skellie excavation, MoLas, has a very refined system operation... machine down to top of grave cuts, then excavate by hand, roughly clean by hand and then record presence of bones before removing. Individual grave cuts are located to a site grid and exceptional skellies are photographed! The result, a very quick and efficeient excavation of a cemetery - 500 burials in 6 weeks (including setup).

Although, not a great fan of time team, don't just jump on the band wagon and knock, gain a little experience.....

[drpeterwardle]

Well said muddy.

I didnt see the programme but I am surprised if they were doing anything other than normal archaeological excavation.

I am not convinced that the MOLAS method is entirely correct however.

Dr Peter Wardle

[Els]

Very impressive statistics, muddy. Yes, I'd love to get some more experience excavating skellies, rather than in post-exc analysis. Just got back from living in the States for 5 years and I suppose a little of the (often rightly justified) hysteria concerning human remains rubbed off on me

[Els]

Ooops...I seemed to be signed in as my wife. Bugger it.

[ross_k]

That's better.

[ross_k]

While I've got your attention, does anyone know where to get a good quality, not too spendy leaf trowel from? Never needed one in the States, plus they laughed at my trusty, worn down WHS trowel

[Els]

This is the real Els. I have to say I find the MoLAS "system" completely horrific. Human remains - and I say this not just as an osteo - should be treated with more respect. It's not, and shouldn't be, a wham bam thank you ma'am affair, cranking out 2 skeletons a day for maximum output. This is irreplaceable heritage, and the mortal remains of people. A person is not a pot, and never will be. I'm not saying we should be holding mass over the gravesite (although if people want to do that, that's cool with me, presuming the deceased were Catholics), but a whack 'em out attitude is out of place.