TxDOT Uncovers Prehistoric Remains

[trymahjong]

http://www.chron.com/default/article/Grand-Parkway-project-uncovers-prehistoric-remains-3738699.php

wondering where these "finds" go for display--

[Fringe]

Or as Swamplot put it:

OLD DEAD PEOPLE BLOCKING PROGRESS OF GRAND PARKWAY

[LTAWACS]

I'm surpised they had the decency to stop and report the remains. Baffoons.

[SkyPig]

State and Federal law requires that such projects conduct a survey to determine if there are any cultural impacts from the project, just like they do for environmental impacts. This cultural site was identified in 1995 when the road cultural survey was done, and recommended for preservation. When construction started, the DOT contracted with an archaeological firm to do that work. And that is what is now in progress. The work is being done by professionals, and scientific data gathered. This is all as it should be.

The artifacts will initialliy all go to the archaeology lab where they will be documented, counted, weighed, photographed, etc. All of that goes into a database to show what was found, where, and how deep. And that tells you what activities were going on there, and how long ago.

Eventually, the artifacts will all end up in some university basement where archaeology and anthropology students can examine them. I'd like to see them go to a museum where the general public can see them.

[TheNiche]

State and Federal law requires that such projects conduct a survey to determine if there are any cultural impacts from the project, just like they do for environmental impacts. This cultural site was identified in 1995 when the road cultural survey was done, and recommended for preservation. When construction started, the DOT contracted with an archaeological firm to do that work. And that is what is now in progress. The work is being done by professionals, and scientific data gathered. This is all as it should be.

The artifacts will initialliy all go to the archaeology lab where they will be documented, counted, weighed, photographed, etc. All of that goes into a database to show what was found, where, and how deep. And that tells you what activities were going on there, and how long ago.

Eventually, the artifacts will all end up in some university basement where archaeology and anthropology students can examine them. I'd like to see them go to a museum where the general public can see them.

This sentiment may not be popular in particular quarters but...since Google and Wikipedia have made K-12 librarians' jobs obsolete, perhaps the best use of school libraries (to the extent that they aren't filled with computer workstations) is as a display space for cultural artifacts and relics, which might be defined as anything that loses relevance when converted to a digital media. These displays could be put together and moved around between libraries by anthropology students, since their time is apparently worthless.

Yeah, I like that idea. You should pitch it to KISD or to the TEA, but obviously with more tact and diplomacy.

[luciaphile]

This sentiment may not be popular in particular quarters but...since Google and Wikipedia have made K-12 librarians' jobs obsolete, perhaps the best use of school libraries (to the extent that they aren't filled with computer workstations) is as a display space for cultural artifacts and relics, which might be defined as anything that loses relevance when converted to a digital media. These displays could be put together and moved around between libraries by anthropology students, since their time is apparently worthless.

Oh, you are naive, The Niche. It would never occur to any current school official that children might want to look at real artifacts. That would suggest a landscape of childhood and a respect for the breadth of a child's mind that are vanished.

If you proposed now something as static-seeming as a mini-museum of archeological finds, the final result would look like this: a sand pit with digging implements for children to dig up fake artifacts (plastic dinosaurs probably - archeology? paleontology? the distinction would be lost on school personnel weaned on the Flintstones) so they can experience being an archeologist "Hands-On!," because current education theory seems bent on the idea that children want to mimic adult pastimes and vocations, and crucially so that a girl or child of color will know that s(he) too can be an archeologist, nothing's stopping them! -- never mind that no child has ever had a moment's worry on this score.

During the first grade an Eyptologist visited my Baptist primary school and lectured to all in the sanctuary. (It's possible they were trying to inculcate some negative propaganda related to pagan cultures that fixate on death. Whatever!) That was the best day! And no tedious talk of "how you too can be an Egyptologist" -- we were expected, quite rightly, to be interested in the subject at hand.

For many years there was in the library of the kid's school a big (100-gallon?) aquarium, which the children loved. The Booster Club paid for a service to maintain it, and the Tank Guy kindly kept it stocked. All the librarian had to do was feed the fish. Particularly popular was an eel on permanent loan. You can imagine the excitement this generated, waiting for that eel to pop out from his rock. Was this educational? .. oh yawn, I guess not.

At some point the Booster Club ladies decided the fee for the aquarium service might be better spent on cd-roms for the computer lab. At the meeting I made an ineffectual defense of the value of the aquarium ("Uh, I think it's really cool...") and they looked at me like I was a Creature from the Tank. The tank itself was sold to my next-door neighbor. I was around to see that the cd-roms' shelf life was no more than a year. Mostly the children practiced making power-points during their computer lesson.

About that time I inherited the school's collection of National Geographic magazines (all the way back to 1943!), since they got that on cd-rom too. Mr.luciaphile was probably not thrilled that I paid someone to build bookshelves for my free National Geographics. I'll bet those cd-roms are still in their cases.

If they should make a traveling mini-museum, I know someone who has a collection of coprolite to donate. Tell me the children won't love that!

[TheNiche]

^ I wish that I could "Like" that five times over.

[SkyPig]

This sentiment may not be popular in particular quarters but...since Google and Wikipedia have made K-12 librarians' jobs obsolete, perhaps the best use of school libraries (to the extent that they aren't filled with computer workstations) is as a display space for cultural artifacts and relics...

I love the idea! In fact, the Katy library right now has a display of antique art glassware in museum-like cases. I don't see why this couldn't be done with local cultural artifacts. But someone's got to pay for it...

Attached: Art "glass" from about 7,000 years ago.

[TheNiche]

I love the idea! In fact, the Katy library right now has a display of antique art glassware in museum-like cases. I don't see why this couldn't be done with local cultural artifacts. But someone's got to pay for it...

Attached: Art "glass" from about 7,000 years ago.

I'd imagine that the political intricacies of de-funding traditional school libraries would be more difficult than funding their conversion to "museums of the tangible realm". There's plenty of money out there for stuff like this, and many willing volunteers.