Salvage Archaeology

[Hoss]

Yesterday while driving through town I noticed a team set up and digging on a planned site for a retail store. I parked my vehicle and made my way across the field and introduced myself and asked if they had found anything? They said yes and said some woodland and a little earlier stuff. I asked if they would show it to me. Sorry it is all put away. Meanwhile a woman sat on a tree stump cataloguing??? Why not show me what she was bagging?? There was pieces of fire cracked laying about and they said they had uncovered a couple of rock filled pits. Nothing earth shattering I guess. They said they would be producing a report and giving it to the state of Tennessee and it should be published with the state next year sometime. I was truly amazed that they would not show me their finds? People are curious why not share? I have always shared finds with anyone who might ask.

[G10+]

I agree Matt .... I will share any of my finds ... just not where I find them :-):-):-)

[Havenhunter]

That's ridiculous! Visit the Jamestown Fort site or Colonial Willuamsburg & the archeologists there love showing off their finds. It wasn't like you were going to sneak back after dark...

[Kyflintguy]

Well that's crappy! Not a nice way to be to the members of the public. I mean I get protecting important sites but anyone with sense could obviously see what they were doing why be like that?

[Hoss]

I actually pointed to a rise ( maybe a Dallas Phase Platform Mound) back closer to the river and said why aren't you guys digging there? The guy says we are digging here because they are building here . They are not building over there. I guess to them it is wait until you get a time line and then rush through it. Behind where they were looked to me like there is a Dallas Phase Platform Mound. It is all going to go away soon as they are planning to build a road right through there. They have already started the road way but dead ended it just before the site I was recommending. WHo knows they may have plans to do a dig back there but they seemed hush hush to me like there is some great secret. I mention Dallas Phase because there were several found in this area. One was reserved and they are not real high mounds Just enough to get them up out of the flood zones yet they could keep near the river. I could be wrong? It might just be a small hill but it sure looked promising to me.

[Kyflintguy]

I doubt anybody (public) will get to see what they found. To the lab and then to a shelf. Published next year? That seems a little hasty!

[p kurt]

Do you think there is a chance they will keep the nicest stuff for themselves and report the brokes and busted pieces? That would be the only reason why you weren't shown that I could think of. Jmo.

[gregszybala]

Maybe if they took the time to show to all who walked up and asked they would loose time doing what they are there for. If that happens often it would be hard to stay productive.
And of course the report will read, minimal traces of use or habitation of the site. It is our opinion this area is of little archaeological value, go ahead and build.

[SDhunter]

Too bad they weren't a little more friendly. I'm sure they missed an opportunity to learn something from you Hoss. That's what they were there for.

[Wanapasaki]

Because all they found were rock filled pits! At Least that's what I'd tell me self. Its funny, that state employees archaeologists that have little to no interest in discovering new sites, but when you mention a find as a hobbyist, Pandora's box is opened. I hope they don't expect your participation in the future for site leads

[chase]

There are private companies hired to clear out sites for government projects.
one I was apart of was a pipeine for a water project.it is on a deadline to complete to keep the project going so to stop and do show and tell only stops progress. They are there under contract

[Hoss]

I understand that but I also think that if they did something like invite the press for s short overview at the projects end it would get the word out about protecting sites. It would enhance their image. It would also give public a chance to show up and see what was found. This would not take long at all to do. However it seems the only folks willing to share finds is the collector. It feels like a one way street .

[Kyflintguy]

Yeah Matt, I think they are missing valuable opportunities to increase public awareness and support by opting for secrecy and introverted behavior. There was two ways you could have walked away from that tent, with a positive impression or a negative impression. They opted for the negative impression and for that they failed (imo) as good archaeologist...

[SDhunter]

There is definitely a disconnect.

[CMD]

You guys all make good points. One thing to keep in mind when wondering "hey, wouldn't that spot be more productive?", etc. is that one fundamental guideline among American archaeologists, at least, at present, is the anticipation, born out in the many scientific disciplines that comprise the multidisciplinary approach that is modern archaeology, that future generations will have more advanced methods, testing, etc then is available now. And, since archaeology seeks to develop information about the past, and not simply salvage or collect artifacts(how many of us would be collecting the pollen samples in a dig?), the attitude is to leave sites untouched when possible, so that more advanced tools in the future may extract more info about the past. Once dug, after all, a site cannot be undug.

Of course, digs still occur. Students have to learn field methods. And whenever federal funds are involved in turning over ground, construction, road work, etc., an archaeological accessment must take place first to determine what impact to sites, either known or unknown, might occur. These days, local First Nations are usually also involved in determining if a dig is going to occur.