tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post4620021607628909157..comments2024-02-07T23:23:13.726+00:00Comments on The Fylde and Wyre Antiquarian: How to be an Archaeologist: Context Sheets Part OneBrian Hugheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-28683501523570339232008-11-19T15:39:00.000+00:002008-11-19T15:39:00.000+00:00Cheers! JOHN :0/Cheers! JOHN :0/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15142977785391302797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-69782637465353518802008-11-18T23:07:00.000+00:002008-11-18T23:07:00.000+00:00John,There you go. What Jayne said.<B>John,<BR/><BR/>There you go. What Jayne said.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-12612111536062460642008-11-18T21:56:00.000+00:002008-11-18T21:56:00.000+00:00John, it's monetarily cheaper (but morally bankrup...John, it's monetarily cheaper (but morally bankrupting) for the "Quick Buck" brigade to throw up new houses in undisturbed farmland than to redevelop tumbled down shacks/ alley ways , etc.Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13887495757366973130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-23186726431264906092008-11-18T15:49:00.000+00:002008-11-18T15:49:00.000+00:00"...why do developers have to exploit new sites, p..."...why do developers have to exploit new sites, particularly sites of historical importance, when there are often feral sites awaiting reclamation?"<BR/><BR/><B>John,<BR/><BR/>I've absolutely no idea. It's probably just coincidental, but I really wish they wouldn't.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-38911842185867139302008-11-18T13:10:00.000+00:002008-11-18T13:10:00.000+00:00Brian,"development is part of our history as well"...Brian,<BR/>"development is part of our history as well"<BR/><BR/>I suppose today's development could be tomorrow's archeology, although it's hard to imagine future archeologists being excited about digging through mounds of garbage from our throwaway society.<BR/><BR/>Also, why do developers have to exploit new sites, particularly sites of historical importance, when there are often feral sites awaiting reclamation. For example, in the states here we have abandoned buildings, empty alleyways, and other places of ill repair, and yet the devlopers will choose to develop raw forest or farmland everytime.<BR/><BR/>Wouldn't society benefit more by reclaiming the sordid sites, and leaving us our fresh air sites? Archeologists would then have more sites left undisturbed for the future, and we'd have nice places to walk instead of crowded housing developments named shady acres or deer park.<BR/><BR/>Or are we getting slightly off topic? :0)<BR/><BR/>JOHN :0)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15142977785391302797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-11480194318109316002008-11-18T00:10:00.000+00:002008-11-18T00:10:00.000+00:00John,There still are treasure hunting opportunists...<B>John,<BR/><BR/>There still are treasure hunting opportunists in the Fylde. Unfortunately there's not a lot we can do about it. It'd be nice to think that everybody out there would accept a bit of responsibility for their heritage, but, in reality, very few people do.<BR/><BR/>The same applies, of course, for the developers and the politicians who pockets they so casually line. That's why, at best, an archaeological site (even if proved to exist) will, as you say, only be treated as 'rescue archaeology' before being condemned to modern development. <BR/><BR/>Just occasionally, however, our initial researches force the hands of the developers into forking out money for a full scale excavation, which once every blue moon can put them off continuing to consider the site as a viable proposition.<BR/><BR/>We live, I'm afraid, in an age of 'Quick Buck' making and greed. Having said that, development is part of our history as well...I suppose.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-82067301899161703402008-11-17T22:24:00.000+00:002008-11-17T22:24:00.000+00:00Brian,an intelligent response... bravo!The way tha...Brian,<BR/>an intelligent response... bravo!<BR/><BR/>The way that land is being so unnecessarily overdeveloped these days in teh name of greed, the best we can do is try to preserve what we can. A well documented dig, along with some convincing evidence, can sometimes keep a site from being destroyed. <BR/><BR/>Of course, if someone wants a spot of land bad enough, it seems a site can be 'recorded', and then done away with, as if reading about something is the same as seeing it in situ. The problem, as you point out, is the question of "what if you missed something", or worse, what if something is considered unimportant?<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, many tomb raiders see monetary value as making a site important, or at least making their pockets lined. And in that past you speak of, archeology, like fossil hunting here in the states, was often treated like a sport! Who can bag the biggest trophy, and get it home to their museum before the other guy... with little regard for the site, surroundings, or ownership.<BR/><BR/>Whew! What a subject.<BR/><BR/>Well done. Excellent argument for (careful) archeology!<BR/><BR/>Cheers, JOHN :0)<BR/><BR/>PS You've spoken of high regard of several local historians... were there ever treasure hunting opportunists attracted to the history of the Wyre?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15142977785391302797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-56291323820162251892008-11-17T21:36:00.000+00:002008-11-17T21:36:00.000+00:00John,As far as I'm concerned the answer is always ...<B>John,<BR/><BR/>As far as I'm concerned the answer is always to dig, especially if it's an unproven site. <BR/><BR/>The word 'unproven' to any commercial enterprise means 'undeveloped but we'll soon see to that'. <BR/><BR/>The best bet really is to partially excavate a site...enough to shore up its reputation against future destruction at the hands of the developers, but not enough to ruin the whole site for any possible advances in future techniques. Oh...and obviously it all needs recording meticulously en route.<BR/><BR/>I've no doubt that at some point in the future, archaeologists with bionic eyeballs and quantum theodolites will criticise us in retrospect for not using their superb advanced techniques...pretty much in the same way that some modern archaeologists criticise the antiquarians of yesteryear. <BR/><BR/>However, whatever their future complaints, I can't help thinking that if we don't do something now, there won't be any sites left for those whinging future archaeologists to examine.<BR/><BR/>It's a bit of a Catch 22 situation, only without Orson Wells.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-17657237930288546922008-11-17T21:24:00.000+00:002008-11-17T21:24:00.000+00:00Truly, the best thing to do is to never ever under...Truly, the best thing to do is to never ever under any circumstances disturb, or allow to be disturbed, any land or soil that may contain archeological evidence within. That way, Archeologists from teh future can use their high tech science that we cannot even dream of yet, to properly analyze the site undisturbed.<BR/><BR/>Then again, A) who's to say which age is sufficiently advanced to undertake the responsibility of disturbing any site, and B) Whoops, too late.<BR/><BR/>More truly, I suppose the best thing would be to forgo archeology at all until time travel is invented. Then we can try to decide who is sufficiently advanced enough to go back in time without disturbing the quantum flux of the time line.<BR/><BR/>Man, you've chosen a morally dillema'd subject to study!<BR/><BR/>And I thought Cartooning was tough. :0)<BR/><BR/>JOHN :0)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15142977785391302797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-57117077358817273232008-11-17T21:22:00.000+00:002008-11-17T21:22:00.000+00:00Good...could you explain it all to me now, because...<B>Good...could you explain it all to me now, because I haven't got a clue what I was talking about?</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-15979649635789910272008-11-17T21:19:00.000+00:002008-11-17T21:19:00.000+00:00That actually made perfect sense ;)That actually made perfect sense ;)Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13887495757366973130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-31816336575662660042008-11-17T09:08:00.000+00:002008-11-17T09:08:00.000+00:00Jayne,Without giving the game away (hopefully), ye...<B>Jayne,<BR/><BR/>Without giving the game away (hopefully), yes they are. There's always been a bit of, shall we say, 'tension' between archaeologists and...er...certain 'specialist ferrous hunter' clubs, due to the fact that, in the wrong hands, said devices can cause an awful lot of destruction. However, nowadays we're teaming up in a much more responsible fashion, and we general ly have at least one 'specialist' on site because, from an archaeological perspective, they're invaluable...if any of that makes sense?<BR/><BR/>Obviously, when used responsibly, context sheets are appropriate for any work conducted by aforementioned 'specialist', although, strictly speaking, the immediate end results would be recorded on separate 'small finds sheets', stating from which context the 'small find' emerged, to help date, classify and identify the overall site.<BR/><BR/>Strewth...I could barely follow that myself.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-64648923757176652582008-11-16T23:39:00.000+00:002008-11-16T23:39:00.000+00:00Damn, I was about to say what FB is getting for Ch...Damn, I was about to say what FB is getting for Chrissy but he'll read this thread.<BR/>Well, it's for excavating <I>metal</I> archaeology. <BR/>Are these becoming more popular on archaeology sites in general and do they have context sheets, too?Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13887495757366973130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-13545733238261231852008-11-16T06:58:00.000+00:002008-11-16T06:58:00.000+00:00Witchy,The day I start making detailed records and...<B>Witchy,<BR/><BR/>The day I start making detailed records and filling in forms for bacon and chip butties, is the day they cart me off in a straightjacket.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-11550405067629407342008-11-16T05:22:00.000+00:002008-11-16T05:22:00.000+00:00This all would have been much clearer if you'd put...This all would have been much clearer if you'd put it in context of the layering of a bacon and chip butty.JahTehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02007730071564639411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-12830926720524946742008-11-15T09:01:00.000+00:002008-11-15T09:01:00.000+00:00Jayne,Every excavation has a full excavation repor...<B>Jayne,<BR/><BR/>Every excavation has a full excavation report complete with context sheets, small finds scans, stratigraphic matrixes, contour surveys, etc. A copy of the <BR/>completed report is sent to the Lancashire County Council Archaeological Department where, I suspect, it's carefully filed in the bin.<BR/><BR/>Actually, that's not fair. Peter Iles, the County Archaeoligst, is extremely supportive of our endeavours, which reminds me, I've got three reports from this year that need bundling off to him before I forget.</B><BR/><BR/>"Are they universal in style or are there specialised ones for different types of digs?"<BR/><BR/><B>They do vary from dig to dig and we often have to redesign our own context sheets to fit the job at hand...although, on the whole, they pretty much cover the same ground.</B><BR/><BR/>"When finds/cuts/structures are made and documented do the facts get published/shouted from the rooftops or is it just kept to the group excavating and/or local gossip?"<BR/><BR/><B>That depends on the landowners. If people want the site to remain 'ingonito' it's entirely up to them...otherwise we whore our discoveries around the press like a politician with a crack problem.<BR/><BR/>Reuben,<BR/><BR/>We have carbon and dendro-dating and stuff...but it's very expensive, so usually we end up just guessing.<BR/><BR/>Andrew,<BR/><BR/>It looks more like axle grease to me. I suspect he also had one of those specially designed string hammocks to keep it tidy overnight.</B>Brian Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00350965110160879688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-29514586588003177192008-11-15T03:12:00.000+00:002008-11-15T03:12:00.000+00:00Good questions Jayne. I reckon Mr Mortimer would h...Good questions Jayne. I reckon Mr Mortimer would have used VO5 hair wax.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-45294357693896648162008-11-15T00:51:00.000+00:002008-11-15T00:51:00.000+00:00Although it's not like archaeology, hunting for fo...<B>Although it's not like archaeology, hunting for fossils involves radiometric dating to gain an "absolute" age on the material in the strata. Is that similar to archaeology practises? </B>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34515154.post-22825521703185815952008-11-15T00:24:00.000+00:002008-11-15T00:24:00.000+00:00I understood everything you said from watching TT ...I understood everything you said from watching TT and other archaeology shows (tv <I>is</I> useful for something,after all!) but I'd never realised all those sheets existed, eek!<BR/>So,if in the future someone wanted to excavate one of your old digs do they approach your group for copies of the paperwork or are there copies lodged with other authorities?<BR/>And what happens to these documents if the group disbands; do they get sent to another archaeology group or museum?<BR/>Are they universal in style or are there specialised ones for different types of digs?<BR/>When finds/cuts/structures are made and documented do the facts get published/shouted from the rooftops or is it just kept to the group excavating and/or local gossip?<BR/>Finally, what hair product did Sir Mortimer Wheeler use on that simply splendid example of facial hair?<BR/>I'd vote for his mo in the council elections!Jaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13887495757366973130noreply@blogger.com