SHETLAND was well represented at The Scottish Archaeological Forum's annual conference at the University of Glasgow recently.
The theme was archaeology and islands. A number of archaeologists conduct fieldwork on Scottish islands, and it was clear from the positive and enthusiastic tone of the conference that islands held a special place in the hearts and minds of the delegates.
. . .
They discussed the ways archaeologists have traditionally approached working in islands and the preconceptions and misconceptions they often hold about "their" island whether utopic or dystopic
They gave a comic-tragic profile of a stereotypical archaeologist who arrives, excavates, fails to engage or involve the local community, leaves (with artefacts held firm) and never gets round to publishing the findings, with the archaeology more divorced from the community than before.
Good article. The theme is relevant to nearly all archaeological endeavors.