After long days conducting archaeological fieldwork, I have taken shelter in a range of different forms of lodging ranging from tents to multi-room suites (FYI: I think tents are great for camping but not for work. Knowing you have to work the next day spoils the novelty of sleeping in […]
The season is upon us. The season for archaeological field schools. In a matter of days, thousands of aspiring archaeologists will find themselves doing REAL archaeology for the first time. The thrill of discovery. Excitement of being in the field. The weary solace in doing a hard day’s labor. These […]
Some cultural resource management archaeologists are homeless. I’ve known this for years. It’s a part of being an archaeologist in the United States we don’t want to talk about. Cultural resource management archaeology is an unconventional career where practitioners can expect to spend extended periods away from home while working. […]
Archaeologists Cheryl LaRoche and Michael Blakey (1997) described how construction at a the Ted Weiss Federal Building in New York City ground to a halt under withering protests from New York City’s Black community when they realized a slave burial ground was being removed for a construction project. Even though […]
Recently, I encouraged cultural resource management archaeologists start blogging as a means of reaching out to archaeology students and sharing their experiences as professionals. I believe outreach this is the best way we can shorten the learning curve for aspiring archaeologists who are currently in college. Other CRMers also felt […]
Cultural resource management archaeology was never even mentioned during my undergraduate career. I finished my Bachelor’s degree in 2001 but didn’t learn about CRM until about a year after I’d already graduated. Things had changed a little bit by the time I finished my Master’s in 2005. A course on […]
Too many archaeologists focus on scarcity. There isn’t enough grant money. Not enough cultural resource management archaeology contracts. Not enough hours in the budget to get this project done. Focusing on what don’t have blinds us to opportunities for archaeology to make an impact beyond academia and consulting. It also […]
Before continuing with this post, I just have a few things to say to all the first-generation and working class college students in the United States: You matter. You are worthy of college. Your university is better off having you there. You belong in college. Hard work, dedication, and skills […]
I haven’t given up on the idea of buying historical properties, fixing them up, and maintaining them as a rental property. I feel like this is also a viable way we can keep the historical fabric of American neighborhoods alive. I’ve written about this before, but my previous timeframe might […]
As I was writing this blog post at the end of August, 2018, I started thinking about the upcoming academic school year. Courses and programs of great value to the next generation of cultural resource management archaeologists exist (like the Heritage Resource Program at Simon Frasier University). Not all of […]
