Grad school visit

So, last week I visited one of the graduate schools I'm applying to for next fall. Overall, I think the meeting went well. I spoke with two difference faculty members, one of whom is the graduate studies director and the other I think I would like to work with. My conversations with one of the faculty members were interesting but brief. We talked about the interest or lack thereof that most people show in history and in archaeology. Those who are interested in archaeology are often interested on an "Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider" level, because archaeology seems exciting, dangerous, exotic.

The thing is, most people aren't interested in what happens in their own community or in archaeology that relates to their own history. Why are people so distanced from the past? Why is archaeology in "exotic" locales what interests people in it?

Since I'm interested in cultural resource management and public archaeology, these are vital questions. How can one encourage and stimulate not just interest in history and archaeology, but a sense of personal involvement and investment in the past? In cultural resources and preservation? I think the key lies with the fact that traditionally historians and archaeologists are the mediators of the past. The average person feels disconnected from the past because traditionally, she is disconnected from it! There is no personal sense of responsibility for historical, archaeological, or cultural resources. And without that sense of personal investment in preserving or studying the past, without that support.... studying it and preserving it become very challenging.