There are publications on our blog in which “black” diggers have heated discussions with archaeologists. And, among other arguments, archaeologists sound a very sensible proposal. If you like archeology so much, then join the ranks of volunteers at official archaeological excavations. Indeed, a very logical proposal, especially since finding advertisements “volunteers needed for excavations” using the Internet has not been a problem for a long time.
So what is the reason? Why don’t tens of thousands of instrument search enthusiasts strive to join the ranks of volunteers? After all, there is a positive example of search teams during the Second World War, where people with great enthusiasm, and absolutely at their own expense, are engaged in military archeology. Let's try to figure it out. I have studied discussions on specialized forums, and I will also use my personal experience of communicating with diggers as an argument.
As an introduction.
I would like to note right away that the topic under discussion has a large number of nuances, opinions and sides of judgment. For example, archaeological excavations conducted by the Institute of Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences have a high level of organization and volunteers involved in such excavations receive vivid emotions, knowledge and a great time. But, unfortunately, there are few such examples and we will also try to talk about this.
Let's move on to the main reasons that I managed to systematize while studying the forums.
What to do there?
And here the question is not in the sense of the type of occupation at the excavations, but in the effectiveness of these excavations. As an example, I will give a photograph of a report from a typical archaeological expedition in central Russia.
Vologda archaeologists presented the main finds of 2019
For those who think that this photo is only part of the archaeologists’ report, I will answer, alas, this is the entire result of the archaeological expedition. What we see in the photo is the standard result of the work of archaeologists in central Russia. Why such effectiveness? This is a topic for a separate note. So, one can understand the attitude of any sane person towards volunteer work on such archaeological work.
The color of archeology is drunk.
I will avoid this topic, but it needs to be outlined. For those who are interested in the essence and disclosure of the topic, I recommend typing “The color of archeology is black” in YouTube. And you will understand why you can’t come to all archaeological excavations with your family.
In the same topic, you can add the problem of theft of things among the volunteers themselves. The quality of the contingent participating in the excavations sometimes leaves much to be desired. People don’t know each other; there have been cases of money missing from the expedition’s cash register. Often, leaders of archaeological expeditions take a safe to excavations. They say that it also happened that safes disappeared. Let's draw conclusions.
All finds must be turned in.
Yes, we have reached the essence of the deepest passion of diggers for their hobby. Any male hobby requires the presence of trophies. A man is a provider by nature. Therefore, if he spent his strength, he must bring something home. Otherwise? Otherwise, the wife won’t understand. The neighbors point their fingers at their temples, the children mock, and the mother-in-law begins to tell his wife that it would be better if he weeded the garden beds at the dacha.
But seriously, I am convinced that it is high time to change the system for recording archaeological finds. For example, everyone knows that museums are littered with pots, arrowheads and stone tools. The archaeologists themselves tell us that when we hand over this “good” to us, the museum workers look at us like we are enemies, they still have to certify it.
I understand that my proposal is a conclusion from the level of science fiction. I understand that the environment of archaeological science is extremely conservative. And here the very proposal that some of the finds can be transferred to private collections will never even be allowed for discussion. However, I have outlined the reason, so we can have a discussion about it.
Still, here we can recall a very positive example from the history of Russian archeology. Before the 1917 revolution, archaeological expeditions were free to sell the archaeological objects they found to passionate collectors. The main thing was the condition of an accurate description of the location of the find and a graphic sketch of the object. Also, very often archaeological expeditions were financed by private individuals in exchange for the opportunity to replenish private collections with individual items from archaeological finds.
Lack of participation in the choice of object.
There are a lot of people among diggers for whom finding an interesting place to dig is more important than the finds themselves. This is a separate category of people who can spend days working on historical sources, chronicles, archival documents, comparing facts and personal experience on the ground. Such people will never volunteer for archaeologists, simply because their skills, knowledge of techniques and experience are of no interest to anyone there.
On the other hand, it is difficult to imagine a situation where an experienced archaeologist, planning the summer field season in advance, begins to share promising sites for excavations with possible volunteers. Well, how can this look on the verge of absurd imagination? Announcement. “Dear volunteer friends, I offer you the following list of promising and interesting places for archaeological excavations to choose from.” I understand perfectly well that a week after the snow melts in some places, in these places you can only cry bitterly.
Lack of understanding of the result.
The question “What to do there?” I touched on it in the first point of discussion. But this is a slightly different topic. And we can understand it with an example. There is a search movement, hundreds of search teams have been registered. In these groups, almost all the participants sometimes walk through the fields in search of coins. It turns out that people are ready to spend their money, time and effort to carry out excavations at WWII battle sites as part of organized groups. But these same people do not want to go as volunteers on archaeological expeditions. Even if they promise to pay money for work. What's the point?
The essence is the essence of the work. The goal of the search engines is to find unburied fighters. Luck – if the fighter is named. Find relatives, solemnly rebury, words of gratitude and, as a result, a feeling of accomplishment. What emotions or experiences can you get from excavating a Bronze Age settlement? Moreover, if these excavations are needed only so that the local gas company can lay a gas pipeline.
Final thoughts.
Undoubtedly, there are many more reasons why even an adequate part of instrument search lovers, and there are more than half of them, will never go as volunteers to archaeological excavations. And archaeologists are not very keen to attract such people. For them, a welcome volunteer is a student, or an office plankton who dreams of realizing his childhood dream – to become an archaeologist. At the heart of the contradiction in understanding the essence of archeology. For lovers of instrument search, this is the subject itself. For archaeologists, this is an integral cultural layer.
And yet, in the course of preparing this note, I read how and what is offered to the volunteers of the IA RAS. I looked, read, thought and decided that maybe, somehow, I’ll sign up for one of the expeditions. The issue of organization and attitude towards people play an important role in attracting qualified and motivated volunteers.
PS I recommend reading this note from a real volunteer.
Volunteer at archaeological excavations – why I don’t participate anymore
