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Exactly right. This is a question that archaeologists are always supposed to ask before digging. If there's a justification for having the answer now (like an i
by AlotOfReading 4y ago
Exactly right. This is a question that archaeologists are always supposed to ask before digging. If there's a justification for having the answer now (like an immediate research need or a threat to the site), then excavation may proceed. Even then, you excavate as little as you need as nondestructively as possible. Usually that'll be a single trench/pit you excavate with hand tools and re-cover when you're finished.
Most regions have databases full of known sites that are unexcavated because there's never been a justification for digging.
- throwawayacc2 4y agoKnowledge for knowledge sake is not considered justification?
- vanderZwan 4y agoI suspect the missing bit of context here is that we have a lot more potential sites than that we have archaeologists with the time and budget to investigate all of them. So in programmer terms, most potential sites never make it out of the priority queue
- fknorangesite 4y agoIt might be, if you have infinite amounts of time and resources and expertise.