Times and Spaces

A few times in the past years I’ve dwelt on what it meant to be an archeologist to me. What anthropology has meant and means to me. I think there must be more than a few armchair anthropologists and I’ve wondered how many people have moved on from doing archeology to other things. Its interesting that I still use the term “doing”. Its an active thing when you practice anthropology. I think of technology as more passive. Sciences like anthropology require one to be active in their pursuit. You do them because you love them, want them, desire what they have to offer. Perhaps I’m remembering this because Indiana Jones and the 4th movie are coming and I remember this day years ago going to the theater in Lancaster, CA all charged up with Indy and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. We all laughed when he said that line “its why we’re doing archeology” or whatever it was.

Now I tend to remember those days with some degree of desire of almost a love lost. I get buried in memories of those days sometimes and wander around only engaging in theoretical field surveys, walking at 30m separate. Listening to the quiet. Archeologists can be very solitary beasts but not when the professional meetings come up. Then all that repressed social energy comes bounding out. Beers are drunk, people are drunk.

Someone told me the chief advantage of growing older is to remember all the things and dwell a bit on those that might have been. Memories of the times get more cherished and we fade in and out of reality. We gather those memories like solitary flames burning on candles that light our path. Slowly but surely each of the flames of those days are snuffed out and we find ourselves with new flames, new desires. Careers tend to move on but I will always be an anthropologist. I’ll always think and feel and do it. its a active not a passive. If you have never done it, you will never know and movies and docu-dramas cannot get you close. Its a unique thing to touch human past, try to interpret with an imperfect record what culture, life, society, religion may have been.

I would say if you ever get a chance to take a field class and you’re curious. Do it. You most likely will meet this interesting new breed unlike any other new breed. Technology and IT and Services and Linux and it all pales in comparison. Its archeology and I miss it.