Making Archaeology Happen
Design versus Dogma
Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology
| Author: | Martin Oswald Hugh Carver | ISBN: | 9781315425030 |
| Publisher: | Taylor and Francis | Publication: | June 16, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Routledge | Language: | English |
| Author: | Martin Oswald Hugh Carver |
| ISBN: | 9781315425030 |
| Publisher: | Taylor and Francis |
| Publication: | June 16, 2016 |
| Imprint: | Routledge |
| Language: | English |
‘Archaeology is for people’ is the theme of this book. Split between the academic and commercial sectors, archaeological investigation is also deeply embedded in the needs of local communities, making it simultaneously an art, science and social science. Such a multi-disciplinary discipline needs special methods and creative freedom, not repetitive responses. Carver argues that commercial procedures and academic theory are both suffocating creativity in fieldwork. He’d like to see us bring much more diversity and technical ingenuity to every opportunity, and maintains this is more a matter of getting ourselves free of dogma than needing more time and money. This has many implications for the way archaeology is designed and procured – moving archaeologists up the professional ladder from builder to architect, with contracts based on quality of design, not the price.
‘Archaeology is for people’ is the theme of this book. Split between the academic and commercial sectors, archaeological investigation is also deeply embedded in the needs of local communities, making it simultaneously an art, science and social science. Such a multi-disciplinary discipline needs special methods and creative freedom, not repetitive responses. Carver argues that commercial procedures and academic theory are both suffocating creativity in fieldwork. He’d like to see us bring much more diversity and technical ingenuity to every opportunity, and maintains this is more a matter of getting ourselves free of dogma than needing more time and money. This has many implications for the way archaeology is designed and procured – moving archaeologists up the professional ladder from builder to architect, with contracts based on quality of design, not the price.
