Walton County Archeological Study

Discovering Walton's past: Archeologist wants to record lost communities of county | defuniak, walton, discovering - News - Northwest Florida Daily News



:cool:

Does anyone know this person? I am curious about his background, credentials, etc. Have emailed the reporter to see if she has more information...

Interesting - but I can't help but wonder:
"How much money is this going to cost?"
"What happens if you let this guy dig on your property and he finds something he deems "historic"?
"And why is Brannon pushing it?"

Thanks for posting this. I very much look forward to his findings and Im not sure I care much about the cost. History is priceless

Scooterbug, it clearly says all commissioners are in support. Only Brannon gave a public statement on behalf of all of them. Just saying....

History may be priceless, but given the current state of the budgets, I would like to know the actual cost.

History may be priceless, but given the current state of the budgets, I would like to know the actual cost.

completely agree! itll be interesting to see the proposed tab on this one. cant imagine itll cost all that much

Like any academic research, archaeology projects can be funded by grants. To do a project correctly is actually pretty expensive but getting a start in the archives and digging test plots is cheap, assuming enough good hearted volunteers step forward to help.

I would have to assume this gentleman is doing this with the cooperation and knowledge of the UWF archaeology department. One thing you have to watch for is someone calling themselves an 'archaeologist' who is actually looking to score some cool relics for personal use. A true archaeologist is interested in answering some question about the past and publishing a paper on their findings, being devoted to relic preservation for the public good, respecting burial sites, etc. Relic hunters can really screw things up by cherry picking goodies that ultimately prevent a true understanding of a site from being appreciated.

Like any academic research, archaeology projects can be funded by grants. To do a project correctly is actually pretty expensive but getting a start in the archives and digging test plots is cheap, assuming enough good hearted volunteers step forward to help.

I would have to assume this gentleman is doing this with the cooperation and knowledge of the UWF archaeology department. One thing you have to watch for is someone calling themselves an 'archaeologist' who is actually looking to score some cool relics for personal use. A true archaeologist is interested in answering some question about the past and publishing a paper on their findings, being devoted to relic preservation for the public good, respecting burial sites, etc. Relic hunters can really screw things up by cherry picking goodies that ultimately prevent a true understanding of a site from being appreciated.

yeah, and most of them are associated with a university of an institution of some sort...perhaps this person is; if so, I find it strange that his creds were not published with the news story...and if he has ""been working in Walton County for years", I wonder why we are just hearing about him.

Scooterbug, it clearly says all commissioners are in support. Only Brannon gave a public statement on behalf of all of them. Just saying....

Yes, but he rarely gives any kind of public statement.

I smell foreclosure avoidance scam.

I don't recall hearing of the archaeologist before, either, but I discovered that he was mentioned and quoted in the February-March 2009 issue of Emerald Coast Magazine in an article on ghost towns in West Florida. Here is a link to the article:

Emerald Coast Magazine - Lifestyles of Destin, Ft. Walton & 30-A - Ghost Towns of West Florida

Google

Note: Ignore the actor listings, that's clearly not him.

He does show up in a Google search as having published papers. Still no actual credentials, like a degree, but he is seeming more legitimate.

Archeological Study

Interesting - but I can't help but wonder:
"How much money is this going to cost?"
"What happens if you let this guy dig on your property and he finds something he deems "historic"?
"And why is Brannon pushing it?"

You can bet it will cost tax dollars and private property owners will be affected in ways they never thought of.

Acdng to the Emerald Coast mag above, he is affiliated with Panamerican Consultants | Experts in Cultural Resource Management.

Interesting...

Looks like a consultant that a developer hires to quickly move archeological sites. :scratch:

My BS meter just moved back into the red.

interesting read. Thanks for posting

Looks like a consultant that a developer hires to quickly move archeological sites. :scratch:

My BS meter just moved back into the red.

It bears watching, but his intent probably is innocent. Believe me when I tell you nobody goes into archaeology for the money. Most people who make a living at it (outside of the university setting) do field consulting which is generally an honest endeavor. Almost all field consultants retain their curiousity and interest in field research and remain involved in projects like this.

You can bet it will cost tax dollars and private property owners will be affected in ways they never thought of.

Many times projects like this are funded by private grants. If tax dollars are used they are already allocated for such projects and stimulate spending involved in executing the project. If you have never seen an actual excavation you might be surprised how much hardware and office supplies (sharpies, notebooks, fountain pens with nice nibs not to mention computer needs) are needed. That does not include the food and drink required to keep the crew going nor the transportation costs. Then when you factor in the potential for increasing tourism where none previously existed, the return increases. It is a wise investment.

As far as your implication that somehow someone is going to lose their private property rights, this is unfounded. The only 'loss' I have seen is remorse a land owner had when a nice relic or artifact (that they were unaware of being in the dirt in the first place) is unearthed and removed for display. Landowners who allow access to their property are generally understanding that they are promoting cultural literacy and have no regrets. The paranoid types with the fences and 'posted no trespassing' signs will not grant access anyway, so no need to worry about them.

The article from Emerald Coast was all about preserving water rights and sources and getting the National Historic Register to take things over. Rail lines were also mentioned.

Google "Gregory Mikell Archaeology" and you'll see he's a recent college grad, BA from U of Fl. He appears to have worked for Panamerican earlier this year for several months, but appears to no longer be with them. P's web site is pretty clear - they are about helping developers get permitting.

The NWFDL article sounds a lot like Mr. Mikell is putting together a proposal to the state to fund his study. Hope that's the case, and that he's successful in securing funding. There's much to be lost.

Interesting - but I can't help but wonder:
"How much money is this going to cost?"
"What happens if you let this guy dig on your property and he finds something he deems "historic"?
"And why is Brannon pushing it?"

Brannon is quoted for a couple of sentences about the importance of understanding our history and he's "pushing it?" :clap: It is most likely that he was interviewed because he is the Chairman of the BCC.