Archaeology Stuff.

Archaeologists are the only group of scientists who actually destroy their sources when they do research. Really, we do - because you can only dig a site once, and then... it's gone. That is the main reason why we try to leave things in the ground unless a dig becomes really necessary - if it has kept well in its place for a couple of hundred years, it will keep for another fifty or so, and with all the progress in imaging technology, conservation technology and other technology, we'll be able to get much more information out of the site in a few more years than right now.

The fact remains, though, that archaeologists are a destructive bunch of folks. Sometimes even if we cannot dig. Case in point? See the blog "A Life in Fragments", where Matt writes about his studies on the destruction of Bronze Age metalwork.

Less destructive: The Winter Issue of Fornvännen is out (thank you Aardvarchaeology for listing the contents up so nicely!) and it's online, for free. Articles are partly in Swedish and partly in English.