Archaeological Documentation

Archaeology is the discloser of past lives. It is fascinating that through the discovery of an ancient object, one can decipher and paint a picture of how people lived, where they lived and, sometimes, how they died.

It is a passion shared by many. Whether it’s someone who enjoys watching hours upon hours of archaeological programs on TV, or others who like getting their hands dirty by digging for findings themselves, it can be a life-long hobby for many (and a life’s work for others).

From stone circles to stone piles, from woolly mammoths to old shipwrecks, archaeology fires up the imagination, feeds our curiosity and constant thirst for knowledge. It’s a way of connecting with the past – a past we can never physically travel to (unless you believe in time travel!), but one which can be reached with an inquisitive and open mind. It’s an honour to be able to hold something that’s thousands or even millions of years’ old. It’s surreal, yet awe-inspiring and humbling. Somehow, it puts your place in the world in context.

If different people from different countries share such a passion for archaeology, then it makes complete sense for archaeological documentation to be made available in as many languages as possible. Let’s take German, for instance. The German translation of archaeological documentation would involve hiring the services of a translator who is not only very skilled at what they do for a living, but preferably has an interest in archaeology as well. This means that their enthusiasm for the work would be double the weight and they’d be familiar with archaeological terms.

A person, if they’re keen enough, could actually set up a small business translating and publishing German-language archaeological papers. They could perhaps go into partnership with a translator and publish journals every quarter. The journals could then be sold to German archaeological societies, hobbyists and libraries. Libraries could even transform the journal to micro fiche.

From there, who knows what’s possible? A website translation of archaeological documents to German, perhaps? People could buy copies of the translated journals online – with a copy of it sent to them in the mail. Alternatively, the journals could be converted to a PDF format, then made available for sale online. Once the user makes the payment, they could either print out copies on their printer or read it straight off their computer. With a website, there’s a chance that even more translation work could be secured.

The above ideas are not foolproof, but it could potentially work for an avid archaeology fan – a way of doing something that they really love doing and making an income from it.

Only the future knows what part of the modern age will be dug up thousands of years from now? Will archaeologists in the year 4078AD marvel at the remnants of our current civilisation the same way we marvel at monolithic stones? What will they find out about us – what part of our lives, our past, our culture will they uncover? Only time will tell.