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Advertising or Accountability? Archaeology Needs Critical Friends in The Media! - WB 12th Oct 2021
71 Plays3 years ago
Welcome to Watching Brief. As the name implies, each week Marc (Mr Soup) & Andy Brockman of the Pipeline (Where history is tomorrow's news) cast an eye over news stories, topical media and entertainment and discuss and debate what they find.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/archaeosoup
0:00 Introduction
4:19 How We Began
11:55 Being a Critical Friend
18:17 Other Voices & The ‘Soul’ of Archaeology 27:00 Conclusions
Link of the Week:
Watching Brief - Jan 2017:
https://youtu.be/K2ytK6ar-ds
Links:
Archaeoscoop: Richard III: It's Him!
The ‘Sun’ article is no longer online, but:
Head of 'Geordie Roman god' found at Binchester:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-23164533
Archaeologists Find Ancient Stone Head Which Could Be Roman Geordie God:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/jul/04/stone-head-roman-geordie-god
Cameron Appointed Peer, MOD and Odyssey Colluded over Balcehn’s HMS Victory:
Springtime for Hitler and “N@zi War Diggers”:
https://www.heritagedaily.com/2014/03/springtime-for-hitler-and-nazi-war-death-porn-diggers/102632
Assumed Missing – Reported Buired – the Search for the Lost Spitfires of Burma:
The Buried Spitfires of Burma: A ‘Fake’ History:
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Andy-Brockman/The-Buried-Spitfires-of-Burma--A-Fake-History/24703841
High Court sets Stonehenge Tunnel on Road to Nowhere! What Happens Next? - WB 31st July 2021:
Sheffield Shock Closure: Staff & Students Speak! - WB 27th May 2021
Sheffield University "Disposed of" Key Documents During Archaeology Dept Review - WB 12th June 2021:
“The Future of Our Past is Family" - Worcester Graduates Speak! - WB 30th Aug 2021:
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Soupcast
00:00:01
Speaker
You're listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network.
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Soupcast, coming to you from Archaeosoup Towers. By popular demand, we're taking selected videos from the Archaeosoup back catalogue and bringing them to you as convenient podcasts. As the name implies, with Archaeosoup you get a bit of everything thrown into the pot. Archaeology, discussion, humour and debate. You can find out more at archaeosoup.com. So sit back, relax and enjoy our hearty helping of Archaeosoup.
Guest Introduction: Andy Brockman
00:00:37
Speaker
Hello and welcome back to Watching Brief for the week of the 11th of October 2021. I am joined as ever by the simply marvellous Mr Andy Brockman. Good afternoon Andy. Good afternoon Mark and when you introduce me in those effusive terms I always think next what does he want?
00:00:59
Speaker
I want your company, you marvellous person.
Halloween Decoration Chat
00:01:04
Speaker
And also, of course, really being October, I want to have a wonderful build-up to Halloween. As you can probably tell, my office is well decked out. We have cobwebs and chains and hands and feet hanging around. Although I know that you're taking a more subdued approach to Halloween.
00:01:21
Speaker
Well, House Brotman, with the exception of Winterfall, we tend not to sort of write the calendar on the body of the House, really. So we tend to internalize, for example, this time of the year, we tend to internalize our inner Wiccan.
00:01:38
Speaker
So we go for the sort of rich but minimalist approach. So it's jack-o'-lantern and pumpkin soup on the 31st and maybe something Tex-Mex in celebration of the Day of the Dead on the 1st of November.
00:01:57
Speaker
So sort of classic, understated simplicity, really. And food. An elegant approach. Whether you go quiet or you go big, regardless of how we celebrate this time of year, Andy and I are here to continue our ongoing watching brief to discuss, well, usually the archaeological news of the week, although this week
00:02:21
Speaker
As last week, we are waiting on some bits and bobs to fully form. We didn't just want to find completely random news stories to simply present to you. So we figured that we would begin this week, having not quite managed to record last week, with a bit of a reflection.
Reflecting on Past Episodes
00:02:40
Speaker
It was a good idea to talk a little bit about why it is
00:02:44
Speaker
we do watching brief and therefore as far as what we believe about archaeological news and the interaction with journalism in the broader context of archaeology that we find ourselves discussing an awful lot in this series. We've been doing this for over 320 episodes now I think it's just I think this is episode 327. Yep. And so we've covered a lot of very different ground in all those stories that we have covered and different and yet
00:03:16
Speaker
We mention the hobby lobby a lot. Well and yet we began though with the Stonehenge bypass in January 2017. I mean some stories are just evergreen aren't they over the course of watching brief. Absolutely and then which is why I think it's good to take a punctuation mark like this and look back on what we've done and then look forward to maybe where we're going and if we're going on in the same way or if we're maybe looking to develop the form a little bit. I mean the Stonehenge bypass is a great you know it is
00:03:45
Speaker
one of those stories, it's the gift that keeps on giving, it's a bit like Groundhog Day, you know, that Grant Shapps is punks a tawny fill, you know, he emerges from his lair, looks around, blinks in the sunlight, does something unlawful and has to retreat again on the whole project shell for a bit, you know. Yeah. Yeah, so it's,
00:04:09
Speaker
Yeah, it's important to take stock, I think, and look back and look forward to it. We should really be doing some new year actually, shouldn't we? It's the old James thing. Well, possibly, but the thing is, I felt it was an opportunity because it also lays some of the groundwork for some of the stuff that we're going to be talking about in the coming months as well. It's going to be, without saying what we're talking about in the coming months, it's going to be, I think, important for people to be able to understand
00:04:38
Speaker
where we're coming from, archaeologically and journalistically.
Archaeology in Journalism
00:04:42
Speaker
Archaeolistically, is that a new portmanteau? And I suppose for me, my interest in archaeology and the news really
00:04:54
Speaker
reach its first milestone in 2013. I had been reporting on news weekly actually with something called Arceoscoop, a series I used to do on Arceoscoop, where I would just sort of pick a couple of headlines a week and essentially point to them.
00:05:09
Speaker
But in February 2013, I became particularly interested with the way in which the archaeological discovery of Richard III was being reported and the relationship between the journalists surrounding a TV production that surrounded an archaeological dig in Leicester, ran by the archaeological department at Leicester University.
00:05:33
Speaker
And how it looked as though they came dangerously close to really losing control of their own work. Now, in that instance, it was complex because it was also partly, I believe, partly funded. The Endeavor was partly funded by people who wanted to present the story in a slightly more dramatic way, namely, for example, Channel 4 on the TV series.
00:05:58
Speaker
But it just struck me as an interesting case study and it sort of got me thinking about these questions of the power relationship between archaeologists, journalists, for the most part traditional journalism and also the public.
Press Representations of Finds
00:06:12
Speaker
And another example that kind of came out not long, I think not long after that
00:06:17
Speaker
was at Binchester, the Durham University annual excavation that they used to do. I think they now dig at Bishop Auckland Castle. But they were digging at a Roman fort called Binchester where a sculpture was uncovered. It was a Roman Anglo-British stone sculpture head. They had a very distinctive hairstyle and so it was very Roman hairstyle, very Iron Age looking eyes in terms of artistic style.
00:06:48
Speaker
And despite the archaeologists sort of sending off the facts and the ideas of the press office, the press office seemed to sort of want to, you know, sexy up the story a little bit. And it ended up being reported in the sun as having been, well, if you're British, then you'll know the name Gaza. If you're not British, being reported as a retired, slightly infamous footballer and his visage having been discovered in a trench at a Roman fort.
00:07:16
Speaker
And again, it was just that question of the stuff of archaeology almost slipping through our fingers when it comes to where the coal faces of people actually understanding the work that's ongoing in the field.
Archaeology in Entertainment
00:07:32
Speaker
But I first really became aware of your interest in this place, this space where
00:07:39
Speaker
where edutainment, I guess, or sort of entertainment meets archaeology in the context of your fascination with the Odyssey company. That's probably fair to say. I mean, around the time, in fact, around the time you were starting and building up archaeos, I was getting involved in a couple of things, including first of all campaigning on particular issues, and one of which was the
00:08:09
Speaker
uh but the uh discovery by obviously we're in exploration uh of HMS Victory which sank in 1744 uh in the English Channel and the arguments around uh treasure hunting and
00:08:24
Speaker
maritime archaeology. And also there were other issues around at the time. For example, I started looking at illegal metal detecting and the illicit recovery of particularly military area from sites in the UK and France and Belgium and elsewhere.
00:08:50
Speaker
And so I pretty soon worked out that for me at least.
00:09:01
Speaker
if I was going to make a contribution anywhere, it wasn't going to be campaigning. So, you know, other people doing that, and they were better at that. And there are difficulties around that, which will no doubt come back to another Watch in Greece in future. But what I could do was what I think very few people were doing up until that time, which was treating archaeology as news and current affairs. They were treating it as archaeology, as heritage.
00:09:27
Speaker
but they weren't dealing with the up to the minute issues like for example what's our relationship with government, what's our relationship with government funding, what's our relationship with the media as you were pointing out.
Archaeology as News
00:09:37
Speaker
Well I suppose also I guess a tendency to almost see archaeological reporting as a succession of additions to a national carrier cabinet. Oh we found one of these, we've got one of those, the oldest this, the youngest that or whatever you know.
00:09:54
Speaker
That's exactly right. And then, again, in that period, 2012, 2013, 2014, and it's when we first started doing recordings together, I think. But I was the lead archaeologist on the Burma Spitfires project, where we were absolutely in the eye of the media, very deliberately so. It was a high profile project. But that
00:10:21
Speaker
involved working very closely with a TV documentary crew and the head of PR for Wargaming, who were the sponsors of the project, and making sure that what we were doing as archaeologists
00:10:38
Speaker
first of all was conveyed appropriately and then wasn't misrepresented and then actually insisting that we were involved in the decision-making processes on how what we were doing was presented and the fact that we were going to write a public report that was going to be made freely available and so on.
00:11:01
Speaker
So you've got that notion of accessibility and accountability, I suppose, which often archaeologists, I've certainly observed, don't particularly understand why they should be accountable for certain things in their lives. But also, I think specifically, also, one of the ways in which that really was highlighted for me when observing you,
00:11:26
Speaker
was when I started, you know, I looked a little bit at the TV series, for example, surrounding the Odyssey Company, and what you had there were people who were archaeologists, absolutely archaeologists, you know, it was on the screen and everything, you know, so and so, archaeologists, who were doing their best to justify what was
00:11:51
Speaker
often a process that was always in the process of being justified.
00:12:00
Speaker
but that is to say that the company frequently found itself in court. The archaeological discoveries that were featured on the TV show weren't often much to do with the reason why they were actually investigating the wreck. You know, we found some spoons, wonderful, but I wonder if there's some gold bullion here, this kind of thing.
Motivations and Perspectives of Archaeologists
00:12:18
Speaker
Or, you know, some cherry or something that might be recoverable in bottles. I think it was one of the shows. And so really, out of that came for me
00:12:29
Speaker
also in talking with you as well, a growing awareness that, as you often say, archaeologists aren't always the good guys. And not just, you know, in Indiana Jones. No, well, yeah, you don't have to be fell off. If only you'll spot off it all, Cindy. And that is to say that, and I'm not specifically pointing at your man in Odyssey and saying he was a bad guy,
00:12:57
Speaker
but rather that we all bring, we all can bring and we all I think by definition must bring our own individual personal reasons, agendas, beliefs, socio-political goals, familial goals to the practice of archaeology and that inevitably business goals as well inevitably will shape the narrative as you want it to be told and therefore the conversation that can unfold around it.
00:13:25
Speaker
I suppose, as you put in the notes here, archaeology is not monolithic, and the conversation that unfolds as soon as you start looking at archaeological news in a slightly, slightly, and not in a much critical way, but sort of editorial way, I think highlights that, and that's one of the reasons why we've been interested in doing Watchingbury for this long, isn't it?
00:13:47
Speaker
Absolutely. I see what I do. And by extension, I see watching brief really as being a critical friend. But both of us, we're involved in archaeology because we love it, because we think it's important, because we think it reaches the parts that other disciplines don't reach. But when I say archaeology isn't
00:14:12
Speaker
monolithic. I say that because there's a tendency in parts of certainly the UK archaeological world at the moment. And I think it grows from a kind of defensiveness, a lack of confidence in the sector as a whole. But any kind of criticism of archaeology of archaeologists of particular stances is somehow dividing the profession.
Stonehenge Bypass Controversy
00:14:37
Speaker
And I think
00:14:39
Speaker
You only have to look at, you mentioned earlier Stonehenge being our very first story, Stonehenge Bioparse being our very first story. It'll be our last story as well, I'm sure it'll be the final thing we talk about. Yeah, absolutely. Just as we run out of internet.
00:14:59
Speaker
which could be sooner rather than later, given what's been happening to the social media apps in the last few days. We'll go back to that later. The Stonehenge bypass, the A303 upgrade, has been polarising in the archaeological world, and it's been polarising ever since it was first really presented as a possibility in the 1990s, as a serious possibility modern times in the 1990s.
00:15:25
Speaker
So to pretend that it's not divisive, I think is naive. And to refuse to address arguments that are made pro and contra, because it might be seen as divisive, I think is dangerous. I think you can't suppress legitimate arguments.
00:15:53
Speaker
Well, and yet at the same time, I think it's worthwhile, you know, if you don't mind, I'll just play a little bit of devil's advocate at the same time. Oh, no, please, no, that's important too, like I said, critical friends. Well, and at the same time, I suppose what I would say is that for a long time, in fact, we have, I know I have certainly,
00:16:08
Speaker
have been pushing for more of a united voice in archaeology more across the aisle conversation within the sector so that people outside the sector can understand better what the archaeological perspective is. Is your problem here seemingly one of taking a stance on ideological grounds as opposed to on sound for example in this instance legal grounds when it came to Stonehenge?
00:16:38
Speaker
I think it was a very bad look that professional archaeologists and particularly archaeological companies and archaeological organisations took a stance in favour of the current UK Highway's plan for Stonehenge before all the legal moves were worked out because people were warning
00:17:07
Speaker
that this was not just controversial, but parts of the project where it was framed were potentially illegal. And they still went with it. And in fact, even even even after the high court found on two grounds that the transport secretary had
00:17:25
Speaker
acted unlawfully on two grounds in granting the project the go-ahead, they were still, instead of welcoming the fact that the law was being upheld, they regretted the decision. Now, I think that for the morality of archaeology, that's a dangerous ground to be stepping on because it's almost like saying that if we as archaeologists say this is okay, it doesn't matter what the law says.
00:17:48
Speaker
I don't think we should be in that area. I think it's important that those arguments are aired and however inconvenient they are, however much certain vested interests, for example,
00:18:04
Speaker
And it could be argued, for example, that, you know, historic England require, because it's dependent entirely on the government for its funding, and Western Archaeology is a commercial organization that stood to make millions of pounds out of work on the Stonehenge upgrade, the A303 upgrade.
00:18:22
Speaker
that that it could be argued colors their inputs to the process. And I think it is incumbent on us as commentators, as journalists, as observers, if we see that to call it out, and I invite and offer the offer the information. And then people can make up their own minds. Okay. Now, it's, it's also
00:18:50
Speaker
you know in that context of being a critical friend it's also been important and it's been in that sense an honor to be able to help other people within the sector tell their stories. So recently obviously we've had interviews with people involved with the proposed and eventual closure of departments so we're talking about for example Sheffield and Worcester universities and that sort of stuff isn't necessarily
00:19:21
Speaker
as exciting as comparing something to Stonehenge, you know, as old as Stonehenge or as big as two Whales' for example. But it is something that I think also ties in with this reason for us doing this in so much as you just mentioned the soul of archaeology and I think
00:19:43
Speaker
that sort of gets to the heart of it. But I think we're both interested in the quality of archaeology's soul as opposed to observing individuals necessarily and hoping that we're expecting those people to be beyond reproach. Rather, it's about having conversations that help us all to better understand how we can all be better archaeologists. And I don't know, I mean, what
00:20:13
Speaker
Is there anything else that comes out of that for you in terms of helping people to talk about things that maybe their bosses wouldn't necessarily want them to be talking about perhaps, but in doing so, helping that soul of archaeology?
00:20:30
Speaker
One of the things I've been most moved by and most encouraged by in the last year or so is in even in some quite appalling circumstances that we've talked and we've explored at Worcester and at Sheffield.
00:20:46
Speaker
people have been prepared to trust us, to talk to us, to trust us that we will tell the story fairly and to investigate what is actually going on and get to put information out there in the public domain. But in both cases, in Worcester and at Sheffield, we've seen university senior management teams trying to, in PR terms, control the narrative.
00:21:15
Speaker
And because people have been prepared to talk to us, because sources on many, many stories, people are prepared to share with us information, their thoughts, documents, text, emails, often very at risk to themselves. And we don't and can't name them, but it's really, really important that
00:21:43
Speaker
we're able to operate in that kind of area so that we can tell the stories that maybe other people would find inconvenient for us to tell. There's the old adage in journalism that the news is something somebody doesn't want you to print, everything else is advertising.
00:21:58
Speaker
And I think particularly these last few months when we look at those stories, that has been very large and I'm very pleased that we've been able to do that and I hope we will be able to continue to do that.
00:22:18
Speaker
So in that sense, archaeologists aren't always the good guys, but also archaeologists are often in need of a signal boost as well. And beyond that, archaeologists
00:22:32
Speaker
I hope through our conversations are shown to be a whole variety of different types of people. There are management, there is the underdog, there is the good hearted and there is the cynical within the world of archaeology and I think that's
00:22:50
Speaker
For me, that's the most important thing, and that has been to present not only an interest in what's happening and what's been found and where it's been found, but also in talking about the quality of the people who do archaeology. What I think it is worth remembering is that archaeologists are a community in and of themselves and a very diverse one, as you've just alluded to.
00:23:21
Speaker
the good, the bad, the average, the wonderful, the inspired and the apparatchi. But beyond that, I think we have to remember that we are also part of a community.
00:23:40
Speaker
or community of communities with part of a wider world. And the obvious example at the moment is issues around climate change, where what we can offer in terms as a community of archaeologists in terms of knowledge of
00:23:55
Speaker
historical perspective on the impact of climate on society and so on, ties in absolutely, for example, with our involvement in the development sector. Archaeologists, I think, need to come up with a stance on, for example, whether to push for
00:24:17
Speaker
for retrofit first because it's now clearly acknowledged by many, many authorities that demolition and rebuilding is the most carbon unfriendly way of development, means of development. I've just been looking at a case in Northampton where the former Debenham store is to be demolished and steel flats with retail on the ground floor are going to be
00:24:45
Speaker
built on that site, whereas an equivalent building, equivalent Debenham's building in Oxford Street is going to be retrofitted for retail and accommodation. So, you know, which is arguably a much more environmentally friendly option.
00:25:01
Speaker
and shows that it can be done. Do archaeologists take a stance on those things? Should companies state that they don't wish to work on projects that aren't zero carbon? As you say, it's one of those things where it's not an easy answer, but it certainly is. There is no easy answer. No, no, no. Exactly, exactly.
Public Engagement in Archaeology
00:25:29
Speaker
And I suppose also as well that there are ongoing questions in case studies as to specifically where it is archaeologists interact with the public and how open we are to meeting people on site for example, how open we are to discussing ongoing research with the public and how welcoming we are with those things. I mean at the moment
00:25:58
Speaker
This has been a fascinating summit to observe because there's an awful lot of archaeologists getting back out into the field, being able to work in something closer to a normal situation as we approach the latter third, I guess, hopefully of the pandemic. But also in that sense, seeing that interest in archaeology come flooding back as well has been wonderful to see.
00:26:24
Speaker
And so, again, while being abstract, it's been interesting and I continue to be interested in observing how archaeologists claim to want to interact with the public and how we actually do as a sector. Because all of this has a bearing on how we're viewed as a profession, whether or not we are in fact viewed as professionals, in fact, to be honest, and also
00:26:52
Speaker
And therefore, it has a bearing on public policymaking, it has a bearing on work and pay conditions and our ability collectively to claim that sort of ethical, moral, authoritative stance on history and archaeology. And I'm not saying that at the expense of pluralism, but rather I am saying, you know, for a reason, you know, archaeologists and our ability to talk about the past
00:27:22
Speaker
It's something that we shouldn't take for granted that people need to listen to us.
Being a Critical Friend
00:27:29
Speaker
Yeah, those are the reasons why we're interested in doing Watching Brief and why we continue doing it. And I thought it was worthwhile exploring that this week.
00:27:41
Speaker
And hopefully in the coming weeks and months when stories come up surrounding all of these different questions that we've been talking about today, we'll be able to point to this little discussion, but also hopefully you'll bear this discussion in mind as being interested, friendly observers. What did you say?
00:28:08
Speaker
a critical friend of archaeology in that sense, and in that sense absolutely wanting to see a future for this study of the past.
00:28:22
Speaker
With that in mind, we once again have a slightly shameless, but in fact entirely, I think, necessary, actually, I'm going to stop calling it shameless, reference to and plug for our Patreon offering. We currently only have one segment on the ArcoSuit Patreon, which is for generalized support of watching brief, as little as a dollar per month.
00:28:46
Speaker
but we will be in the coming weeks also announcing a series of extra tiers for that support. We have some merch ideas, we have some levels of interaction that we're currently cooking up and we'll look forward to announcing that as and when we can.
00:29:04
Speaker
But do check it out. The link will be below. If you believe in what we've been doing for the past five years, over the past 327 episodes, for the past, was it four and a half days worth of 24 hour viewing pleasure, as you put here on the notes? Yeah, four and a half days straight. If you wanted to watch it, you could. Then please do consider supporting us on Patreon.
00:29:34
Speaker
I suppose the extended study and conversation that we've been having about archaeology and how we are interacting with the wider world.
00:29:48
Speaker
I'd only say that I think it's more important than ever that people engage not just with the surface of archaeology but with what lies behind it. And if when you lift up the stone you find something wonderful and fascinating
00:30:07
Speaker
Yeah, report that, talk about that, share that. But if when you lift up the stone, you find something that's sort of uglier, slimier, more questionable, then I think we have to be brave enough and honest enough with ourselves to interact with that as well. And what I would say really is
00:30:28
Speaker
pipeline, which I edit and watching brief here. We rely on people to help us tell stories. And if you've got information that you think the public need to share, then please share it with us so that we can help you tell the story and tell the story safely. Because there are people who prefer some stories that aren't told, and I think they need to be called out.
Contact and Collaboration Info
00:30:57
Speaker
Certainly something that we've seen again this summer, isn't it? Definitely. And I suppose in that sense, I would just remind people that Andy's DMs are always open on Twitter. I think mine are as well, but you can definitely email us as well at the email that's below on screen. I suppose I would just add to that by just saying ultimately what we're looking for here, and one of the notes that I've made here actually,
00:31:22
Speaker
is that we want to continue to expand the conversation to gain tips and insights into those things which aren't just advertising, but are the things that people don't necessarily want us to talk about, as you say. But also to become a safe space, a safe place, a welcoming place.
00:31:41
Speaker
for conversations about the state of the heritage sector. Professional, commercial and academic interests are enveloped in that. And a place where, I mean, to be honest, like even earlier this week, I had an interesting conversation with someone via YouTube comments,
00:32:02
Speaker
where a gentleman was suggesting that the British Museum is illegally selling artifacts. And you and I had a bit of a back and forth. There was a slight titter of, really? But actually, we took it at face value. I've said, OK, wow, if there's evidence of that, let us know. We'll take a look at it. I don't think the evidence will be forthcoming. But regardless, approachability is one of the things that we tried to foster here as well, along with everything else.
00:32:31
Speaker
And we look forward to continuing that process, that conversation with you. That's this week, I guess. That's this watching brief. Next week, there hopefully will be something that's currently coalescing. It will be available for you. And we've got a couple of one or two interviews lined up as well in the near future. Well, the medium distance feature. Again, it's all in a cloud coming together.
00:32:58
Speaker
But I guess finally just thank you guys for watching. Thank you for your ongoing comments and conversations and interactions online. And also frankly if I want it just for keeping us sane. I mean the very fact that it's possible to find people who share at times our exasperation but also at times our passion for these stories has been genuinely lovely. And yeah from time to time it's
00:33:26
Speaker
it's very valuable actually I think to look back on that and look back on the past five years and see where we come from and where we're going. I suppose and do you want to shall we also invite people to if they have any particular suggestions in particular that they want to see in terms of the shape of this this weekly format as we as we do proceed.
00:33:48
Speaker
please do again feel free to comment below or get in touch you know we we're still experimenting and and so uh yeah you can be part of helping us uh helping us improve maybe maybe even become less annoying you know less dad jokes yeah yeah exactly i i just finished no i know there'll always be dad jokes i'm sorry that's just that
00:34:12
Speaker
But I just finish up by saying that, you know, I think one of the reasons why, you know, I got into archaeology late as a mature student. I worked in theatre and performing arts before that. And so storytelling is something that is absolutely second nature to me. And archaeology has some wonderful stories, some of the most wonderful stories to tell.
00:34:39
Speaker
And in the end, that's what we're in. That's why we do what we do. I think it's because storytelling is that it is at its most basic. It's something that is what is one of the things that makes us human share sharing stories, whether it was around the campfire,
00:35:00
Speaker
or as here on an electronic on the digital social media platform. It's one of the best things that we can do as a species. Well there we go. Thank you for your time this week as ever Andy. Thank you guys for watching at home. Please do comment below. Please do consider supporting us on Patreon and please do add to that conversation because
00:35:28
Speaker
yeah it's an ongoing one until next time guys do take care
00:35:45
Speaker
This podcast episode has been produced by the Archaeology Podcast Network in collaboration with Archaeosoup Productions. Find out more podcasts at www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com
00:36:01
Speaker
This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archpodnet.com. Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com.