I had no questions reading the scholarly journal of my field. The article is written by Professor emeritus Brian Fagan. As I understand his reputation, he is one of the preeminent authorities in the field of Archaeology. He wrote the text book I used in my archaeology class and Professor Stecker, if I remember right had nothing, but good things to say about him. The journal was about “Archaeology: the Next 50 Years,” Fagan goes over the archaeological finds of the last 150 years. He lists the great finds and the archaeologist that found them. He then spends the rest of the article discussing how archaeology is becoming a field in which the members are becoming increasingly specialized. That it is becoming increasingly unlikely that a lost civilization or horde of treasure will be found. That the future of the profession will be spent finding out the minute details that made up day to day life in these cultures.
He spends a good deal of time discussing how technology will be the guiding hand of archaeology; the study of the past. How with the advent of new technology, the accessibility to archaeological sites that were inaccessible becomes a reality. Technology will allow archaeologist to view sites that would disintegrate normally under the current methods. The questions that Fagan asks are about where technology will lead the field that used to be based of scholarly knowledge and guess work. He mentions only one of his contemporaries and that is to illustrate that through technological help an archaeological find that helps define a culture was found. I found the piece to be a thoughtful outlook of the things to come. I guess I already have had these thoughts and ideas instilled in me by Professor Stecker. This information isn’t anything new. This article only voices the thoughts of the older generation that is leaving. The current and new generations are already implementing and using technology to its fullest. This article that was more of a mission statement than a journal, it states the future to come simply.
Bibliography:
ARCHAEOLOGY The Next 50 Years. (cover story) By: Fagan, Brian. Archaeology, Sep/Oct2006, Vol. 59 Issue 5, p18-23, 6p, 5c; (AN 21751870)
Notes: Print Journal Held Locally, Call Number GN700.A725, 1991 to present
