For my research today I tested out how accessible is information on Indiana archaeology to amateur archaeologists and collectors. Recently there have been a plethora of sources of useful information posted on archaeology in Indiana which I believe helps responsible collecting. The DHPA’s weekly newsletter talked about how the archaeologists went out and identified people’s artifacts. The artifacts had found under a finders keepers system. The free identification of artifacts benefited both because the archaeologist got to see what types of artifacts were found in the area, and thus what types of people were living there. Since I am researching the other side of the argument it also should be noted that these artifacts are now out of the archaeological context and they are certainly not recorded to as precise a location as archaeologists would have recorded if they were finding the artifacts. Thus making the artifacts less useful to archaeologists.
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Chris,
I think your passion with archaeology will really help to make a strong paper because of your own personal experience. I am not familiar with the DHPA and would like to know what it stands for. This is interesting because every time I travel out west I see this being questioned. It's also interesting that the location would not be recorded as precisely so that the artifacts become less useful.
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