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| Channel 5 online screen grab: Fair use for review and reporting |
Well it's been a busy couple of weeks at Archaeosoup Towers; not least because of the resurgence of footage from the canned series 'Nazi War Diggers' in the guise of 'Battlefield Recovery' on Channel 5, here in the UK. If we put the ethics, the potential legal problems and the ad hominem insults which have been flying around on Twitter to one side, something else floats to the surface.
One of the most interesting trends of the ongoing Social Media discussion surrounding this controversial series is the number of people who seem to think that the mere recovery and display of artefacts is essentially what Archaeology is. Comments have ranged from:
'Let the public decide!' to
'What's the problem so long as the treasures end up in a museum?'.
Despite years of outreach and TV series such as Time Team, there is little understanding of the meticulous research, recording and reporting which is crucial to the archaeological method. There is seemingly no general knowledge of the ongoing work which is done to improve our methodology and limit it's adverse impact on the past. ie Archaeologists don't just dig stuff up!
'What's the problem so long as the treasures end up in a museum?'.
Despite years of outreach and TV series such as Time Team, there is little understanding of the meticulous research, recording and reporting which is crucial to the archaeological method. There is seemingly no general knowledge of the ongoing work which is done to improve our methodology and limit it's adverse impact on the past. ie Archaeologists don't just dig stuff up!
There also appears to be a lack of sensitivity for the handling of human remains (actual people who lived and died in the Second World War). Not only is this an ethical concern but potentially contrary to broadcasting standards and guidelines linked with decency and responsible portrayal of behaviour on TV.
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| Screen grab from Steve Taylors public Facebook account, 24/12/13 |
Finally, folk mistake a call for professionalism (aimed at those who commission and produce TV content) for an attempt to censor freedom of speech. One Tweet ironically accused me of being a Nazi for attempting to limit civil rights. As if clumsily pawing at human remains, haphazardly handling potentially dangerous munitions and even crassly modelling helmets recovered from the forest floor of a WW2 battlefield constitute an artistic or political choice! People appear to be equating such unethical and unprofessional behaviour with a piece of extreme art or a political statement. They confuse crass and uncivilised behaviour such as looting war graves with actions at the very pinaccle of our civilisation - the right to freedom of speech!
Edit: On a related note - It's worthwhile considering that our outcry to the producers and commisioners of this world is not merely a form of unionism... ie Hire an archaeologist or else! Rather it's a cry of dismay that it's possible to make better TV together! Drama without sacrificing integrity, intrigue without jargon and digging without the method 'getting in the way' of the production. Not to mention that Archaeologists aren't particularly expensive haha - world-beating expertise without a huge budget!
Though I will concede that the ongoing philosophical and legal discussion about what 'freedom of speech' actually constitutes is far from over (and probably, quite rightly, will never conclude). Most people understand that the handling of human remains is a sacred or even taboo act! Imagine for a moment, if people randomly plucked your grandfather's remains from the ground for no good reason, digging in a 1940s graveyard to see what they can find!? No impending building or infrastructure project is putting the graveyard at risk of destruction and (despite what the edited captions in Battlefield Recovery now say) there is no attempt to record the excavation. They're just seeing what's there... This abhorent scenario should only be more shocking when applied to disarticulated remains discovered on a battlefield, a war grave!
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| Channel 5 online screen grab: Fair use for review and reporting |
It is not the purpose of this blog post to look down on those who misunderstand archaeology. I am not interested in pronouncing or prescribing morals from an ivory tower. Rather, I want to know why?
Why do people not know better? Why is the past so often seen as a resource which anyone can use and abuse? Finally - why oh why is the training and ethical concerns of archaeologists and historians, adding to and agonising over centuries-long debates about 'who owns the past?' and where 'red lines' in the handling of history should be, ignored?
Why do people not know better? Why is the past so often seen as a resource which anyone can use and abuse? Finally - why oh why is the training and ethical concerns of archaeologists and historians, adding to and agonising over centuries-long debates about 'who owns the past?' and where 'red lines' in the handling of history should be, ignored?
I won't pose any detailed answers here as I would encourage you, dear reader, to think on this, debate and comment below. However, I suspect that education and a push for acknowledgement of the profession as... Professional... might be a start?
And that is why Archaeosoup exists. Clearly there is work yet to be done!
- Mr Soup
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