Looking for PhD Archaeologists/Anthropologists/Historians?

[research guy]

Last month I reached out to my local University History PhD by email asking for an opportunity to present some evidence from a research project that I’ve been actively and continually researching over the last 16 years.

Based upon the general explanation that I provided in my initial email to him, he told me that he would be happy to get together and sit down with me and allow me to present the evidence that I was willing to show him. He then replied to me asking for more specific information so that he as an observer could properly prepare himself with background information to properly evaluate the information and evidence.

Once I supplied him with this more detailed information, he replied to me in parts as follows:

“Thanks for your response and your elaborate explanation of what it is that you have been so diligently researching over the past many years. There is no doubt in my mind that you have a neat project here and I'm pleased that you are so invested in it.*“

Followed up with.....

“I was initially intrigued by your email because I thought perhaps it was a local site/history project that I would be able to professionally help you understand more about or provide an evaluation of your work.”

Continued with......

“I'm sure it would be a great presentation to witness, but I would be hardly any better than any other lay person on this topic. For that I do not believe I would be able to give you an honest evaluation of what you have. For all the work you've put in, you certainly deserve someone who can give you that honest and frank evaluation.”

And he concluded with......

“My best recommendation would be to contact and bring this evidence to an archaeologist or anthropologist. While you are doing history here, historians don't typically deal with this type of explorative work. That isn't to say we shouldn't be doing it, maybe historians need to take a greater role in projects like these in the future, but at the moment it isn't really the purview of historians.”

The Tnet community has proven to be a very wide and diverse community, including all walks of life and occupations. Is there any PhD Historians/Archaeologists/Anthropologist within this community? And if so, who are they?

Direct messages are welcome.

 

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[Mackaydon]

Begs the questions: What and where is the project you are working on and what is your objective (goal)?
Don.....

 

[ToddsPoint]

I'd contact Richard M. Gramly, (Mike) PhD. He's in MA and shouldn't be too hard to find on the net. He's pretty famous. Gary

 

[research guy]

Much appreciated toddspoint, that’s a great candidate, and a good place to start. Let’s keep these names coming.

 

[RGINN]

Don't have to give it all away, but sounds like it would be interesting to hear maybe a brief overview of your project. Wishing you good luck!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Is the site in PA, or the USA? Do you own the property and have control of the site?

If it is in the United States here is a e-mail address to report it and receive instructions.

nps_chiefarcheologist@nps.gov

 

[GoDeep]

This post is useless without some background....

 

[research guy]

16 years ago I started into documentation research concerning a specific treasure hunting topic. 11 years ago using this documentation research evidence, I was able to locate the exact site that I was originally looking for. After finding the site, the calculus of how I can research the site changed moving forward, because I was now not looking for a hypothetical site, but rather looking outward from it. The evidence clearly shows that the site has excessively more historical and anthropological value as an unrealized Native American occupation site, than has for its perceived treasure hunting value as a site.

I’m attempting to use this thread to essentially crowd-source the Tnet community for potentially qualified people to evaluate my project, process, methodology, and if they agree with my conclusions, the site itself.

If you were in my shoes, you would reasonably understand why discussing the details publicly would be hazardous to the site. I want to give the Academic Community the first opportunity evaluating the currently unmolested site. I don’t want to make detailed claims publicly until they’ve had this opportunity. So if you know a qualified Archaeologist/Anthropologist that I can reach out to, feel free to Direct Message me their name and/or contact info.

Happy hunting!

 

[Kray Gelder]

So mysterious. And serious.

 

[Honest Samuel]

You do not need our opinion whether your information is good or not. Do more research and search.

 

[GoDeep]

16 years ago I started into documentation research concerning a specific treasure hunting topic. 11 years ago using this documentation research evidence, I was able to locate the exact site that I was originally looking for. After finding the site, the calculus of how I can research the site changed moving forward, because I was now not looking for a hypothetical site, but rather looking outward from it. The evidence clearly shows that the site has excessively more historical and anthropological value as an unrealized Native American occupation site, than has for its perceived treasure hunting value as a site.

I’m attempting to use this thread to essentially crowd-source the Tnet community for potentially qualified people to evaluate my project, process, methodology, and if they agree with my conclusions, the site itself.

If you were in my shoes, you would reasonably understand why discussing the details publicly would be hazardous to the site. I want to give the Academic Community the first opportunity evaluating the currently unmolested site. I don’t want to make detailed claims publicly until they’ve had this opportunity. So if you know a qualified Archaeologist/Anthropologist that I can reach out to, feel free to Direct Message me their name and/or contact info.

Happy hunting!

Old sites are cool. If its a major native American Site though, I doubt it's "undiscovered", perhaps "unmolested". I've said it before, but here in the United States, it doesn't matter how remote you feel you are, there's been countless people through there. Drop a coil to the ground and you'll find casings, bullets, iron trash etc. Do you have any pictures of the site?

 

[research guy]

You are right godeep. But I never claimed it to be “undiscovered”, but rather it’s a historically “unrealized” and currently “unmolested” site. The difference here is that I didn’t simply go out for a walk one day to a new random place I’ve never visited before, and Randomly look down and find a physical artifact that gives me indication that I might be in the middle of a potentially important pre-Columbian native occupation site.

The reason I’m looking to reach out to Archaeologist/Anthropologists is to present the exact process and methodology that I used to identify the site. Show them exactly what the evidence is, and exactly how this sites location is extracted from within the historical documentation. I’m not playing hypothetical lawndarts for a couple thousand miles away hoping that I am randomly right. There is surgical precision in historical documentation research if you manage the information properly.

I used my own vacation time at my own expense on multiple occasions, to go visit the site personally to take pictures and video and document the site with “Boot on the Ground”.

When I get an Archaeologist/Anthropologist to evaluate my research, I am going to present them with the entire history that is was able to uncover, along with the pics and video. They will know exactly why I am telling them that this is an important site, before they ever pick up a shovel or spade. They will know exactly what to potentially expect of the site before ever going there. The definitive “Proof” on my research project will be uncovered in that Archaeological record in the dirt.

A random example of “undiscovered” versus “unrealized”, is Mel Fisher and the Atocha. The Atocha was well documented in history to have existed, as well as to have been loaded with a vast wealth of treasure. It was lost for 100s of years. When Mel Fisher found the site and started producing the objective artifacts, the ship and site became Realized again for its historical value. The artifacts directly associated and identified the shipwreck to the lost legendary sunken ship. He had changed the legendary status of that lost sunken treasure ship into tangible physical tangible objective history again. Thousands of boats may have traveled over that sunken shipwreck site, but none of them realized what was beneath them. That space was occupied by humans thousands of times, but it was only Mel Fisher exposed the historical and Archaeological value of that space. Anybody, at any time could have accidentally discovered that site. Mel Fisher based his research in the documentation to surgically attempt to limit his search area and hone in on the site itself, until he eventually Realized that tangible history back into the history books with an objective site. This is a random example and not related in any way to my study, but the process is very similar.

My research identifies how to locate the physical site, and conclusively associates its unrealized historical identity directly to the site.

 

[GoDeep]

Do you have any pictures of the site? Nothing that would give away its location mind you.

 

[releventchair]

Similar sights in other areas are documented as existing. Then listed as either hands off till authorized investigation (public lands usually) , or future landowner granted investigation.

A college investigated thousands year old sites near me in the nineteen sixties.
You wouldn't know today.

With the amount of potential and recognized sites , I'm not sure what you are looking for on yours.
Recording? Investigation? credit for locating it?
Many of the "qualified" to molest sites PHD's have a backlog of old sites....
Unless threatened by development there's seldom a rush to do much to any given site that I'm aware.

 

[Kray Gelder]

I'm not a PhD, but I'll pretend to be one. In spite of your enthusiasm for this Native site, another one doesn't really excite me. They're everywhere. As for your wanting to impress me with your research and documentation, kudos to you. And kudos to the thousands of other hobbyists who spend their time on such things. There isn't going to be any professional mutual respect, because you're not a professional. You need to spend 8 years or so, at an educational institution, get your own PhD, and then you can hang out with us. Good luck, start looting the site.

 

[smokeythecat]

Once you get archaeologists involved, don't be surprised if they run you off and give you zero credit for all your work. They work for grants and have to be top dog. It's just how it is. The get $$$, we don't.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I'm not sure why you would need an archeologist to review research if you have the site available. Historian - yes. But an archeologist looks at the physical remains. Not the maps and documents and historical record.

An anthropologist would be interested in the evidence that shows what the society and interactions of the residents was like. Again, unless it is their written record it is a matter for a historian.


Case in point: locally there is a settlement known as "Castle Creek". So named because of the Native American "Castle" that was located up a feeder creek that fed into the Chenango River and was a battle in the Sullivan Campaign of the Revolution. One of General Sullivan's punitive forays against the British loyal Iroquois. Historically recorded as a fortified castle heavily defended and shown as a large palisade on maps. Archeologists later visiting the site found the remains of a few burnt-out longhouses that contained pumpkins and squash. No fort; wood or stone. No palisade. Just a small village that had some food set aside for the harsh upcoming winter. So they moved across the river after the soldiers left.



Here is a link to a very interesting read (for me) of what was involved 30 years ago when they did a dig across the river from the Castle Creek site (destroyed by the work for Interstate 81 in the 1960's). The intro will explain what goes into securing and gaining access to a site for a dig.

http://rla.unc.edu/personal/vps/monographs/Prezzano & Steponaitis 1990 RLA-RR (Boland).pdf

 

[research guy]

There isn't going to be any professional mutual respect, because you're not a professional. You need to spend 8 years or so, at an educational institution, get your own PhD, and then you can hang out with us. Good luck, start looting the site.

I get your point, it is completely accurate and realistic because I have had an actual PhD tell me exactly the same thing on a different topic. The point of this thread was to crowdsource this community for potential qualified people to approach next, regardless of anybody’s opinion on the subject matter, and I have received two names and contact info for a govt agency. I’ve been given some names.... goal achieved.

To expand on what I was told by this PhD a few years ago, he gave me additional advice on how to move forward as follows:

“Your other options are to self-publish, self-publish with professional endorsements, or go invest your time/money and earn your professional credit by way of earning your PhD.”

He also said that if I did well enough in self publishing, that it would offer me some degree of professional credit on future projects.

Either way..... The plan remains the same.... the Archaeologists/Anthropologists will be given to the opportunity to evaluate my project. Whether they take the opportunity or not is completely up to them. If they believe me to be a lesser person of quality by default, so be it.

There is no offense taken by your comments, you speak the absolute truth. I don’t have a PhD, but I’ve solved the problem anyway. This project is getting published eventually with or without their help or endorsement, but they will have had the opportunity to turn it down first. I know what the score is concerning my own academic credit. I have decisions to make and so do they.

In my opinion, it’s much easier to deal with the situation before the tooth paste is let out of the tube, and I am offering them that option. Once the information is made public.... it is what it is. My plan moving forward remains the same either way.

If you have some names to put out there, by all means offer them up or send them my way. I will be more than happy to consider them. This is neither complicated nor difficult. Your comments are completely justified, legitimate, and completely relevant to this situation. But I do have additional options you didn’t list, that I fully intend to execute either way.

 

[GoDeep]

Do you have any pictures of the site, any of the finds or any earthen structures? Nothing that would give away it's location mind you.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Good luck to you.