Originally posted by newtron25
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but if private research is to be conducted in archaeology then the work must also be coordinated with and supported by a university department, or at least the work must refer back to work done within that system.
Well, you're unfamilar with how archaeology is conducted and how digs and research happen. While a lot of it is done by universities (because digs are very expensive), some of it is done by foundations and organizations like the Texas Archaeological Society (I'm a member of that.)
Museums like the one I am working for also conduct digs using grant money, volunteers, and sometimes coordinating with universities.
Yes, science is built upon standards. However, consider this: what if those standards have been turned so sharply to produce profit so as to influence how the greater researchers and minds are given the obvious choice of following the funding to pursue their theories.
Sigh.
Perhaps you would enjoy joining your local archaeological society or taking a university course and learning more about the science? Something more than your speculations about what happens and how and why?
Although Osmanagic is a victim of his own avarice and over-zealous pursuit of his hypothesis, has he not also partially been unduly forced out of the establishment because of A) location of the site, B) possibility that the site may be of medieval importance, but not directly related to British medieval history and, C) unorthodoxy of his premise in beginning his research and, most importantly D) going outside the traditional university/privately supported and endorsed archaeological channels to do this work?
No. He's not been forced out of the establishment. He wanted to do archaeology but didn't want to spend the time learning culture and techniques and going on digs because he's rich. He feels that anyone can do archaeology by showing up with backhoes and shovels and a permit or two.
So a=no, b=yes, c=no (you should see some of the brawls over the ancient humans in America!), d=no. You also forgot e) he's damaging the whole area and f) he's already lost two skeletons and other materila and g) he or someone on his team has hoaxed at least one inscription and h) it's obvious even to the non-experts that he's not digging but carving and i) he's claiming all sorts of absurd things as "artifacts" (the "ancient sculpture of a cow" was one of the most laughable) to bolster his claim.
