Did three archaeological sites today, though none were enough to detail in my books. Today did less than on a normal work day because it was my errand day, though it was one of those disconcerting (actually, to be honest, totally horrifying) days out in India when no store carries much of what you want; one store was even outright closed where I always get my vegetables. I'm finishing the day with reading some French...
Current time travel apparatus location: The Round Library, Bangalore, India
Well, I feel disillusioned. A favorite writer of mine on archaeology and history, who shall as usual here remain unnamed, at least in the 1960s when excavating a site gave only a perfunctory report, saying things like "we found a few dishes with the usual accompaniments." All the hundreds of other archaeological reports I've read say what the so-called usual accompaniments are, recognizing that every site has some uniqueness and that the careful student wants to be shown that such an assumption is correct and wants all the details she can get. Many archaeologists also present wonderful photographs and drawings to make it even clearer, and they state why they sometimes have retrieved less information than they would have liked. The writer also makes the assumption that any site that changes styles is because of an entirely new population -- what does the writer think of people who can afford to completely redecorate their homes? Are they no longer themselves? -- I'm sure that'd be news to them. But it's also a tiny bit comforting, because even brilliant people now well known for rational presentations were not always that way...though it also reminds me I can't completely accept everything even a respected scholar says, and makes me glad I've always been of the "show-me" school.
Current time travel apparatus location: New Delhi, India
Ah, how boring research would be some days without typos. I just ran across a great one, though be forewarned it's very rude: "It is reasonable to infer that the floor belonged to a kitchen, though the possibility of its being a ritualistic snot cannot altogether be ruled out."
Current time travel apparatus location: The Round Library, Bangalore, India
It's 4:30 on a Friday and I'm going to sign off; on Fridays I usually stop work early. Did 5 sites today, 3 completely and 2 that require a better library to finish. I'm a little distracted because somebody's digging up our road, and the elephant god noise keeping me awake for hours every night is continuing. Notice how controlled I was not mentioning that until now? But now it's telling; I'm tired. Dinner is easy at this point though so I feel very virtuous; I already made a Korean eggplant side dish, Korean radish kimchi, and Chinese cucumber pickles, all to serve coldish; we'll also have Japanese seaweed crackers and Thai canned mackerel in a sauce. How's that for a pan-Asian buffet that would probably horrify any purist?
Current time travel apparatus location: The Round Library, Bangalore, India