Talk:Pseudoarchaeology

Pseudoarchaeology, fact or fiction? I don't believe that all searchers of Noah's Arc or other religious artifacts put their religious perspectives over scientific inquisitions. I hope that some day someone does find proof that the Arc really exists. Better yet somebody finds the Arc of the Covenient. Wouldn't that throw a rock into the gears of science!! I feel that religion although almost impossible to overlook in these searches should be put aside and kept at home. The thought that the bible is a treasure map will only cloud their investigations!!!

I removed the Antikythera mechanism and the Baghdad Battery from the 'see also' list. They are normal archaeological objects, and not pieces of pseudoarchaeology, as putting them on this page would seem to claim. I also removed the prior text from this talk page, because it was discussion about the subject of the page rather than about the page itself. Andre Engels 18:13, 22 Jan 2004 (UTC)

removed the Antikythera mechanism and the Baghdad Battery? hmmm ... both are pointed to by some in the pseudoarchaeology community.

normal archaeological objects? YMMV on that ...

not pieces of pseudoarchaeology? They have been historically pseudoarchaeological subjects.

putting them on this page would seem to claim? Solution, mabey, is to note specifically that they were and are not, generally, anymore (e.g. ppl are looking for them now, analyising them, etc...)?

removed the prior text? it should be archived ... [rv'in that]

discussion about the subject of the page? That isn't what the talk page is for, inaddition to "about the page"? hmmm ...

Sincerely, JDR

I have re-added them now - re-reading the page I realized my objections could be solved by putting them directly under 'archaeology' rather than under 'anachronism'. However, regarding the last question, no a discussion page is not for discussion about the subject: See Wikipedia:Talk page#What is it used for?. Andre Engels 12:04, 30 Jan 2004 (UTC)

In other words, the Talk page is about the article on the subject, about making it better. But not for debating the subject itself. A useful distinction! The Antikythera mechanism has been controversial and represented, pseudoarchaeologically, as an anachronism. The pseudoarchaeology here is in the interpretation rather than in the find. Good to list it.Wetman 16:59, 30 Jan 2004 (UTC)

Bad example

I think this paragraph

In a favorite area of pseudohistory claims are made that a major immigrant group of modern North Americans made a "discovery" of the New World before Columbus. Archaeology unearths a temporary Viking encampment at L'Anse aux Meadows. Pseudoarchaeology associates a stone tower at Newport, Rhode Island with Vikings or claims Viking remains in Minnesota.

is a really bad example, or is not phrased very clearly, since the discovery of a Viking encampment (however temporary) does prove that the Vikings discovered America before Columbus did. T:he passage explicitly distinguishes the archaeology of L'Anse aux Meadows from the pseudoarchaeology of the Newport Tower and Minnesota pseudoarchaeology. Maybe it needs a "on the one hand..." etc. to make it even more obvious. Wetman 13:28, 8 Jun 2004 (UTC)