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9 things cultural resource management archaeologists and the homeless have in common

Lots. When we first met, my wife was appalled by my lifestyle as a weekend-warrior archaeological technician and graduate student. I worked Friday through Sunday as a tech for the state transportation department and Monday through Thursday as a TA for the University of Idaho. I used to carpool with […]

What do cultural resource management archaeologists have in common with homeless people?

The fight for historic preservation creates livable cities

Fighting the fight for Historic Preservation

“Next week, next month, or next year we may have an opportunity to enlighten those groups [business interests and elected officials] on the cultural, social, and aesthetic importance of preservation. But if we want that historic building saved today, we had better be prepared with economic arguments.” Donovan D. Rypkema, […]


Day of Archaeology 2014 at Succinct Research

As you’re reading this on 7/11/2014, I’m probably digging a test unit somewhere outside Glacier National Park. I’m actually on assignment this year and will be out of cell/internet range during the day. I’ll be working on an awesome possibly Archaic site along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so look me up […]

Introducing the River Street Digital History Project

Is cultural resource management archaeology conducive to families

Who cares about the Supreme Court Ruling? Archaeologists aren’t allowed to have kids anyway 8

This week (6/30/2014), the United States Supreme Court ruled that “…certain for-profit companies cannot be required to pay for specific types of contraceptives for their employees” (http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/30/politics/scotus-obamacare-contraception/). The corporations involved in the case (Conestoga Wood Specialties and Hobby Lobby) are allowed to use their religious beliefs to prevent female employees […]


Cutting corners in cultural resource management archaeology hurts everybody 4

I just finished listening to Episode 37 of the CRM Archaeology Podcast. The last 10 minutes of the show reminded me of a salient story. One day, I was sitting at my cubicle in one of the many beneficent CRM archaeology companies I used to work for when one of […]

How does cutting corners hurt our cultural resource management

10 unwritten rules for professional archaeology

10 more unwritten rules of professional archaeology 8

I’m piggy backing on a couple of archaeology blog posts I read earlier this week about unwritten rules of professional archaeology. The topic was started by Tracy Brown, webmaster of the blog Archaeology in Tennessee. Mr. Brown started a thread asking about the Unwritten Rules in Professional Archaeology and has […]


How archaeologists can enjoy the fruits of travel hacking 1

I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Boise, Idaho (Java Coffee and Café to be exact) enjoying Boise’s best coffee drink— the Bowl of Soul. This coffee didn’t come easily though. I’m coming off a 3-hour-long scanning binge that has resulted in the digitization of a huge amount of archival […]

Travel hacking for archaeology graduate students

Historic preservation makes Seattle a great place to live

Never forget: Historic preservation is what makes Seattle a place people want to live

My wife, kids and I just spent an amazing week in Seattle. It made us remember what we loved about that place: diversity, atmosphere, rapid growth, abounding opportunities, good food, great friends, and, above all, character. Seattle is definitely a trend-setting city. It’s a place where people of all walks-of-life […]


Writing Schedules keep your Archaeology writing moving

“This is some great stuff! There’s nothing like this out there. Are you willing to publish this as a book?” From what I’ve heard, this is the way my good friend Chris Webster who just got his book The Field Archaeologist’s Survival Guide published by Left Coast Press. It was […]

Archaeology books are coming from blogs these days

Investment and savings advice for archaeologists

Saving and Investing for Archaeologists

I remember loving snow days as a kid. This was long before I’d started doing archaeology and started hating snow. Every time it snowed for a few hours, I’d start getting giddy– thinking about the action-packed day of Nintendo and sledding that awaited me the next morning. I’d lay in […]