At a rough guess, most archaeologists of my generation remember vividly when they first read Kent Flannery's 1982 article called "The Golden Marshalltown". The article is an allegory, with iconic archaeologist-types such as the greedy 'Child of the Seventies', the cynical 'Born Again Philosopher' and the 'Old Timer' dirt archaeologist giving us clues as to Flannery's somewhat jaundiced view of the profession.
Here's a long version of a quote that you'll hear from lots of dirt archaeologists hanging around the cash bar at conferences. Recently, a faithful reader dropped me a line and badgered me into adding it to our collection of quotes.
Here's a long version of a quote that you'll hear from lots of dirt archaeologists hanging around the cash bar at conferences. Recently, a faithful reader dropped me a line and badgered me into adding it to our collection of quotes.
Oddly enough, that's not my favorite quote from "The Golden Marshalltown". This is, and in my ca 1982 photocopy this part is highlighted in pink pencil:After our talk this afternoon [said the Old Timer], I got to wondering about what archeology needed the most. I decided there probably isn't an urgent need for one more young person who makes a living editing other people's original ideas. And I decided we probably didn't need a lot more of our archeological flat tires recapped as philosophers. There seems to be enough around to handle the available work.
What I don't see enough of, son, is first-rate archaeology.
Now that's sad, because after all, archeology is fun. Hell, I don't break the soil periodically to 'reaffirm my status'. I do it because archeology is still the most fun you can have with your pants on.
...[W]hat the world wants is for archeology to teach it something about humanity's past. The world doesn't want epistemology from us. They want to hear about Olduvai Gorge, and Stonehenge, and Machu Picchu. People are gradually becoming aware that their first three million years took place before written history, and they look to archaeology as the only science--the only one--with the power to uncover that past.And that's the God's truth. Click on one of the links below to get the source of these quotations.
Comments
So, I was having a discussion with one of my professors, and we want to know who these two people are. Flannery seems to say they are real, but who?
Yeah, we tried to figure it out in grad school, too, but couldn’t do it either. Also the Skeptical Grad Student, the Great Synthesizer and … whoever the third guy was from the Ancient Mesoamerican Village. (I’m rummaging around in my brain right now, so can’t remember exactly). I decided they were all Flannery, but that’s probably not right either.