The Best and Worst of the Web's Archaeology Sites

The Best and Worst of Archaeology on the Web

By:Austin Grace and Michael Zinser

And the award for best all-around archaeology website goes to….(drumroll). The Society for Historical Archaeology! (Applause). The Society for Historical Archaeology is a very comprehensive, well rounded, accredited, and well organized website dealing with many aspects of historical archaeology. The main purpose of the site is simply to educate and inform, a very noble goal. The site offers information about the background of historical archaeology, news and current events in archaeology, and also information regarding careers and futures in archaeology. The site offers many links to other archaeological readings and the Society’s newsletter. Obviously the Society has nothing to hide as it makes readily available the names and contact information to many of its directors, founders, officers, committee members, as well as minutes from committee meetings. The breadth of information and actual archaeological date accessible on the website seems to be limited, although much more is likely available in the member’s area. New members can easily join by clicking on the “membership” link and become active members and gain access to secured areas and information.
We chose this site as the best on the web because of a few factors. First of all, and most importantly, it seems as though the founders of the Society for Historical Archaeology are extremely interested in the education of those who share a common interest in archaeology. The abundance of links to research reports, technical reports, archaeological news, additional readings, publications, and educational materials suggest such a desire to inform. While it seems that there is a minor attempt to make money generated by membership dues, it does not appear to be an excessive amount, but rather enough to meet the society’s basic needs. Secondly, the site is very clearly organized and easy to navigate. An important factor in evaluating websites is clarity and ease by which one can find what they are looking for. The SHA site’s easy and concise navigation, coupled with the ever present aim to educate and inform by accredited means makes the Society for Historical Archaeology our pick for the “Best on the Web” award.

One of the worst sites chosen on the web dealt with the myth of the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. It presents the view that the Loch Ness monster exists and does so in an amateur manner. The two authors, Carol Fraser and Russell Harper, are Scottish citizens with no scientific or academic background. The site contains records of many sightings of “Nessie,” but has no referencing system or other indicators that they are reliable. The site is presented in an easily navigable manner and is organized into sections such as Sightings, Film Evidence, Sonar Contacts, and Nessie Sketches. It is well done, but not sophisticated. It could easily have been produced by ordinary people who wanted a website, which I believe is the case. Trying to determine the agenda of the site authors was not immediately apparent. There were no merchandising links, so it is not run for profit. On the home page, however, there is a link to a website promoting tourism to the Scottish highlands. My conclusion is that the authors do believe in the myth and want to also promote Scotland as well. The selection of nessie.co.uk as one of the worst sites is due to the fact that there is no real science, scientists, or accountability for their claims. It desires to further belief in the myth, and that is all. None of the author’s claims are referenced or done in an academic manner. It seems that the site is merely one of many on the internet which rely on pseudo-science to propagate a romantic idea with no basis in reality by claiming authority and expertise on the matter.

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Websites

http://www.sha.org

http://www.nessie.co.uk

Contact authors:

mzinser@nd.edu

agrace1@nd.edu

	The Best and Worst of Archaeology on the Web By:Austin Grace and Michael Zinser
And the award for best all-around archaeology website goes to….(drumroll). The Society for Historical Archaeology! (Applause). The Society for Historical Archaeology is a very comprehensive, well rounded, accredited, and well organized website dealing with many aspects of historical archaeology. The main purpose of the site is simply to educate and inform, a very noble goal. The site offers information about the background of historical archaeology, news and current events in archaeology, and also information regarding careers and futures in archaeology. The site offers many links to other archaeological readings and the Society’s newsletter. Obviously the Society has nothing to hide as it makes readily available the names and contact information to many of its directors, founders, officers, committee members, as well as minutes from committee meetings. The breadth of information and actual archaeological date accessible on the website seems to be limited, although much more is likely available in the member’s area. New members can easily join by clicking on the “membership” link and become active members and gain access to secured areas and information. We chose this site as the best on the web because of a few factors. First of all, and most importantly, it seems as though the founders of the Society for Historical Archaeology are extremely interested in the education of those who share a common interest in archaeology. The abundance of links to research reports, technical reports, archaeological news, additional readings, publications, and educational materials suggest such a desire to inform. While it seems that there is a minor attempt to make money generated by membership dues, it does not appear to be an excessive amount, but rather enough to meet the society’s basic needs. Secondly, the site is very clearly organized and easy to navigate. An important factor in evaluating websites is clarity and ease by which one can find what they are looking for. The SHA site’s easy and concise navigation, coupled with the ever present aim to educate and inform by accredited means makes the Society for Historical Archaeology our pick for the “Best on the Web” award. One of the worst sites chosen on the web dealt with the myth of the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. It presents the view that the Loch Ness monster exists and does so in an amateur manner. The two authors, Carol Fraser and Russell Harper, are Scottish citizens with no scientific or academic background. The site contains records of many sightings of “Nessie,” but has no referencing system or other indicators that they are reliable. The site is presented in an easily navigable manner and is organized into sections such as Sightings, Film Evidence, Sonar Contacts, and Nessie Sketches. It is well done, but not sophisticated. It could easily have been produced by ordinary people who wanted a website, which I believe is the case. Trying to determine the agenda of the site authors was not immediately apparent. There were no merchandising links, so it is not run for profit. On the home page, however, there is a link to a website promoting tourism to the Scottish highlands. My conclusion is that the authors do believe in the myth and want to also promote Scotland as well. The selection of nessie.co.uk as one of the worst sites is due to the fact that there is no real science, scientists, or accountability for their claims. It desires to further belief in the myth, and that is all. None of the author’s claims are referenced or done in an academic manner. It seems that the site is merely one of many on the internet which rely on pseudo-science to propagate a romantic idea with no basis in reality by claiming authority and expertise on the matter. Back to Top
	Websites http://www.sha.org http://www.nessie.co.uk	Contact authors: mzinser@nd.edu agrace1@nd.edu