March 22, 2012

AIA Speaks Out on Unethical Digging of Archaeological Sites

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Elizabeth Bartman, AIA President, sent letters to executives at National Geographic and Spike TV to express concern over the content of two new TV shows–Diggers (National Geographic) and American Digger (Spike TV)–that promote treasure-hunting and the unethical digging of archaeological sites.

You may read them at http://www.archaeological.org/news/advocacy/8256

The March 20 edition of the New York Times has an interesting article about this controversy: “TV Digs Will Harm Patrimony, Scholars Say,” written by Bill Carter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/arts/television/spikes-american-digger-draws-concern-from-scholars.html?_r=1&ref=arts

In addition, Ben Thomas, Director of Programs, was quoted in the Huffington Post on the same issue: 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/ric-savage-american-diggers_n_1348390.html