First published 2010 by Left Coast Press, Inc.
Published 2016 by Routledge
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ISBN 978-1-59874-434-7 paperback
INTRODUCTION
This collection of quotations about archaeology is the result of years of both desultory and directed hunting and gathering as a student, archaeologist and most recently, writer/editor/webster of the Archaeology section of About.com.
How I Got Here
I became an archaeologist after a decade during which I considered myself a writer and fed myself with my typing and editing skills. It seemed like a good idea at the time to find something to write about: archaeology turned out to be my drug of choice, but I got distracted by the joy of fieldwork. And after twenty years of chasing around the world with a trowel in my back pocket (hard on the blue-jeans, I find), I now consider myself a writer and, well, lets not go into the economics of that decision.
As a raving generalist, along the way Ive devoured academic literature from a broad menu of subjects in archaeology, and munched on a lot of fiction and a lot of other things that really dont qualify as either one. Somehow, from even the most technical and dull of academic papers, or the most unrelated biography or novel or movie, many an eloquent or funny quotation has leapt into my arms, demanding attention and mixing up my fancy metaphors. Some of the quotes attempt to pin down elements of the elusive field that archaeologists have chosen to pursue; others are simply humorous reflections on what the love of the past does to all of us.
I cant really say when I started collecting quotations related to archaeology, but I blame it all on Kent Flannery. He was certainly the first archaeologist who made me laugh out loud, type out the quotation and tack it to my graduate student office door (oops, no tacks allowed, who knew?). One of the first things I did in 1997 when I began working on my website for About. com (then the Mining Company) was begin a quote collection. Quote Number 1? Kent Flannery: Archaeology is the only branch of anthropology where we kill our informants in the process of studying them.
Sources for the Quotations
So the primary sources for this collection are academic papers and books in archaeology over the past century or so, books and novels over the past three centuries, movies and comic strips and music and other pop culture of the present and, er, past. Some of the most surprising people say things that are pertinent to archaeology and the study of the past. You would almost think it was a popular obsession for centuries of human beings.
My secondary source is from fellow archaeologists and fans of archaeology who were willing to pony up their favorite quotations. For this most recent collection, I am indebted to Janice Adamson, Richard Affleck, Gwyn Alcock, Paul W. Alford, Tony Baker, Mary C. Beaudry, Stephanie Bergman, J. Howard Beverly, Jane L. Brown, Lyle Browning, Geoff Carver, Cerridwen Connelly, Frank L. Cowan, Leon Cranmer, Richard L. Currit, John Dockall, Keith Doms, Harrison Eiteljorg III, Charles R. Ewen, John M. Foster, Anne Giesecke, Marlesa Gray, R. S. Greenwood, Andy Hemmings, A. Gwynn Henderson, Nigel J. Hetherington, Barbara J. Hickman, Marilyn Heite, Julie Hollowell, Jack Hunter, Silas Hurry, Meta F. Janowitz, Ben Jeffs, Lucy D. Jones, Robert Keeler, T. Arron Kotlensky, Michael Lenardi, Bradley T. Lepper, Jan and Paul Lorrain, Ron May, Jeanette McKenna, Tom Mohr, Gaye Nayton, Carol A. Nickolai, Emilia Oddo, Ralph K. Pedersen, Bruce Penner, Michael R. Smoke Pfeiffer, Harding Polk II, Mike Polk, David Rice, Michael F. Rondeau, Jim Rudolph, Bryant Saner, Robert L. Schuyler, Carol Serr, Andrew R. Sewell, Bob Skiles, Calvin B. Smith, R. Angus Smith, Nichole Sorensen-Mutchie, Carl Steen, Karl Steinen, Robert Stuckenrath, Michelle Touton, Susan Walter, Nancy White, and Michael Yarborough.
Whats in Here
The book is arranged in , Doing Archaeology, has three sub-subjects. Defining Archaeology includes the many ways we define archaeologyI was astounded at how many ways we do that, and discovered that there is beauty in mosaics. The Pleasures of Fieldwork describes how we feel about excavating and why we despise it or long for it or, you know, really, both; and Diggers and Denizens are quotes about archaeologists, how were perceived and how we live.
, Lessons Learned, includes Why Study the Past?, Historys Pitfalls and What Have We Learned?, all of which are shades of quotations about how the past engages us and how it terrifies us at the same time. Lessons Learned also includes answers to that old question Is Archaeology a Science?, and if you arent confused after reading all those answers, this book hasnt done its job.
, Art and Literature, I threw in for a lark. As an ex-English major I love poetry and several nineteenth century poets like Byron and Poe and Shelley were really lit up by ruins and what they say about the transitory nature of human endeavor (also spelled endeavour). Somehow, ruins dont seem to light people up in the same way in the twenty-first century. Also in this chapter youll find some words of wisdom from ancient texts.
, the Pop Culture Divide, examines two sides of popular culture in archaeology. In Archaeology for the Public, youll find what we as archaeologists think about whether we should and how we should make our data available to the public. Pop Culture Strikes Back is a collection of quotes from pop culture sources about what the general public make of us. I think thats fair, dont you?
, Ethics and the Archaeologist, takes a serious tack, with quotes that define and describe the several ethical dilemmas that archaeologists face in our world. Ethical Dilemmas embraces how women, minorities and indigenous folks are addressed in archaeology. In Religion vs. Science, youll find quotes about how to communicate science if the world rejects it. In Who Owns the Past? are answers to that oh-so-frequently asked question.
