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[arzadu]

one of the important things I have learnt as an archaeologist in Australia, as a country that has a history of colonisation, is the importance of the concept of “that doesn’t need to be found yet”

Obviously, this is a part of archaeology in general. We recognise that our actions are inherently destructive, and so we should leave archaeology, sites, and areas for future archaeologists, with future technologies, and future research questions.

im not sure if it is a universal thing, or if it is something Australia specific. But it also has an important connection to working with Indigenous peoples, and their archaeology.

I work as a consulting archaeologist (CRM for American people I think). and we are often surveying, excavating, or researching a site because someone wants to do something, or damage a site, or a site is in danger (whether through development or through nature and erosion).

In consulting archaeology, finding no archaeology is the best result. There is nothing that needs to be destroyed – be it through archaeological research, or through development. That is a given. Sure, it makes for some boring days sometimes, but it’s the best outcome for pretty much everyone.

Often times, we’re required to dig in a certain area. And we look at the landscape and think, 

well if I could dig anywhere…

with enough practice, and cultural knowledge (or a predictive modelling map) you can predict where sites are likely to sit. Where you are likely to find the most archaeology.

But sometimes, you shouldn’t.

sometimes it doesn’t need to be found yet.

bc sites and their locations might be known by Indigenous peoples, but archaeologists, or heritage departments, or whoever, will not be informed of them because they are not in any danger. 

And in some cases his is both a reflection on the public, on the way heritage registers and site registration interacts with Indigenous cultures, and on an archaeological approach to the history of a living culture. Theres heaps of reasonings behind this that really belong in a completely different post so were not going there. 

Sometimes the field of archaeology gets so excited about the research of something. Which isnt a problem (weve all done it)

but we can get sucked into chasing the oldest possible date, the earliest possible version of an artefact type, the biggest site, the intricacies of a burial, that we can forget the people behind the archaeology.

In Australia, we can chase the early dates of our own ancestors. But i think need to question why we are churning up sacred sites chasing the earliest date of a sacred site that belong to a living culture. That we (often) dont belong to. 

We need to recognise that sites can wait for their time. For communities to identify which knowledge and research they would like out of a site, for their input into both the planning, the excavation, the analysis, and the publications. 

And we need to recognise that our research into a site, and the knowledge it produces, is for the Indigenous communities, not just for research and academia’s sake. 

and we need to stop talking like working within and around cultural practices, and having research goals are two mutually exclusive situations. 

[arzadu]

People don’t talk enough about how easy it is to sleep in the dirt.

Like at a certain point on a dig day you BECOME THE DIRT.

And then comfy lil cozy crevices where you just dug start ~calling your name~

[arzadu]

[arzadu]

Have just started reading a book by an indigenous archaeologist (Paulette Steeves) and this seems like a really good thing for me, and for all archaeologists, to keep in mind as we work:

[arzadu]

With apologies to the entire archaeological community

[arzadu]

cheddar

oh, so you like dogs? name one dog

this is the dog, you can name them :)

[arzadu]

I accidentally opened discord on my laptop and was forced into a 30 second unskippable cutscene

[arzadu]

oh no

No problem; just push it through the screen!

[arzadu]

Ah yes....

The legendary game 'Tnb Bingngthilhb'

Say it after me now: runes are not a fun font for you to use at your leisure, they are their own alphabet

[arzadu]

Compilation of flag confusions I’ve seen online

[arzadu]

“Which spices go with which foods” lists are of limited value to me because, like, I have functioning taste buds. What I really need is a “spices that need to be added at the start of the cooking time in order to properly develop versus spices that need to be added in the last five minutes because extended heating fucks up the flavour profile” list – that shit is not intuitive.

[arzadu]

me for real

This came to me in a dream

[arzadu]

— Amatonormativity, and The Damaging Pedestal of Romantic Love.

[arzadu]

[arzadu]

Some small details for a character learning sword fighting for the first time:

- sore wrists

- blisters on hands

- every movement opens you up to be hit

- they will hit the tops of their arm and own sides with the sword while learning

- there is a primal sixth sense when you know you’re being toyed with

And, for your typically nonviolent characters.

You don’t aim for the swords. You aim for the person holding the sword.

It sounds so obvious but needs to be accepted. Actively. When holding a sword you have to understand you’re attacking another person. Even to block you have to aim your blocks at the other person or they won’t be strong enough to actually protect yourself.

[arzadu]

I'm not convinced by the idea that any activity/trait/tendency is what makes us human, and I don't really believe it would matter if this was the case. But I'm certain that if there was something that made us human, it certainly wouldn't be sexual or romantic attraction. Plenty of animals engage in long-term partnerships that could be interpreted as analogous to romance. And basically every animal species has sex.

But you know what does seem Extremely Human to me, if anything is? Attempting to understand and put words to your own experiences, figuring out what you want from life as an individual rather than relying on the norms of others, searching for the particular kind of communities are that right for you... I don't think other animals tend to do these things very much.

Which means that knowing oneself to be aromantic, asexual, and/or otherwise aspec inherently involves engaging in something that's arguably much more uniquely human than romance or sex.

[arzadu]

You can feel however you want about the concept of love. You can define it and your relationship to it in whatever way you feel works best for you.