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CHAP. I - GENERAL

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2010

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Summary

The archaeologist's general aim on approaching a new site should be to draw from it all the knowledge that he can, to unearth as complete a skeleton as possible of the history of that particular spot during the period when it was a human habitation. Unless that period belongs to times when men wrote what can now be read, he can hardly hope to uncover perfect history, but the more complete the dry bones that he lays bare the better the chance that they will rise again as history when imagination shall have prophesied to them.

Therefore the excavator's sympathies should be as wide as possible, and nothing that he finds should meet with his neglect because it is not just what he is looking for. This sounds obvious and most unnecessary to be said, yet, to take but one instance of a breach of this rule, there are to-day archaeologists with well-known names who will dig a site only for its inscriptions, paying no attention to other and in their eyes lesser finds. This is a double crime, a crime against the actual neglected finds and a crime against the site and its possible treasures yet unfound. It should always be remembered that in general a site cannot be touched and left without irreparable damage, and that there can hardly be a worse sin for an excavator than having attacked a site to leave the part begun unfinished. Yet this is likely to be the result of an interest that is insufficiently catholic.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010
First published in: 1915

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  • GENERAL
  • J. P. Droop
  • Book: Archaeological Excavation
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511731464.002
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  • GENERAL
  • J. P. Droop
  • Book: Archaeological Excavation
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511731464.002
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • GENERAL
  • J. P. Droop
  • Book: Archaeological Excavation
  • Online publication: 07 September 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511731464.002
Available formats
×