--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Statements that will hold good for all…" description: "\"“Statements that will hold good for all time are difficult to obtain in archaeology. The most that can be done at any one time is to report on the curr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/jennifer-k-mcarthur-57498_archaeology_statements-that-will-hold-good-for-all-t_1768320.jpg" --- # Statements that will hold good for all time are difficult… ![“Statements that will hold good for all time are difficult to obtain in archaeology. The most that can be done at any one time is to report on the current state of knowledge.” quote by Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/jennifer-k-mcarthur-57498_archaeology_statements-that-will-hold-good-for-all-t_1768320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/jennifer-k-mcarthur-57498_archaeology_statements-that-will-hold-good-for-all-t_1768320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d03/jennifer-k-mcarthur-57498_archaeology_statements-that-will-hold-good-for-all-t_1768320.jpg) > ““Statements that will hold good for all time are difficult to obtain in archaeology. The most that can be done at any one time is to report on the current state of knowledge.”” [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Archaeological statements are provisional; they reflect current knowledge and may change with new evidence. **In simple terms:** Archaeology is always evolving. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty. Themes archaeology knowledge epistemology Mood cautious inquisitive Type academic reflective When to use this quote - fieldwork - academic publishing - museum curation Key Concepts provisional statements scientific method historical interpretation Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle uncertain information? - What safeguards ensure accurate reporting? A Different Perspective Provisional statements may be misinterpreted as final truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Archaeology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archaeology/) [Archaeology Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archaeology-time-1754951/) [Digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Obtain Archaeology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obtain-archaeology-1754949/) [Scholarship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholarship/) [Statements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements/) [Statements Hold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statements-hold-1754950/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We are opening up an enormous new era in archaeology. Time capsules in the deep oceans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-opening-up-an-enormous-new-era-in-archaeology-time-capsules-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am convinced that the stratigraphic method will in the future enable archaeology to throw far more light on the history of American culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-sapir/i-am-convinced-that-the-stratigraphic-method-will-in-the-future/) [Edward Sapir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-sapir/) > [History may be accurate. But archaeology is precise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-scott/history-may-be-accurate-but-archaeology-is-precise/) [Doug Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-scott/) > [I'm not an academic; I'm not an archaeologist. I'm a writer, communicating ideas to the public. There is a model of how the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hancock/i-m-not-an-academic-i-m-not-an-archaeologist-i-m-a-writer/) [Graham Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hancock/) > [One of the things that I love to do is travel around the world and look at archaeological sites. Because archaeology gives us an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/one-of-the-things-that-i-love-to-do-is-travel-around-the-world-and/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [“Archaeology is a deeply conservative discipline and I have found that archaeologists, no matter where they are working, have a horror of questioning anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-hancock/archaeology-is-a-deeply-conservative-discipline-and-i-have-found-that/) [Graham Hancock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-hancock/) > [Archaeology is not a science, it's a vendetta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-wheeler/archaeology-is-not-a-science-it-s-a-vendetta/) [Mortimer Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-wheeler/) > [Dead archaeology is the driest dust that blows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-wheeler/dead-archaeology-is-the-driest-dust-that-blows/) [Mortimer Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-wheeler/) > [“Aside from criminology, I’d say archaeology has the highest body count.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/aside-from-criminology-i-d-say-archaeology-has-the-highest-body-count/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Archaeology is the peeping Tom of the sciences. It is the sandbox of men who care not where they are going; they merely want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-bishop/archaeology-is-the-peeping-tom-of-the-sciences-it-is-the-sandbox-of/) [Jim Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-bishop/) > [You know, many people believe that we archaeologists are just a collection of old fogies digging around in the ruins after old dried up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/griffin-jay/you-know-many-people-believe-that-we-archaeologists-are-just-a/) [Griffin Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/griffin-jay/) > [For me archaeology is not a source of illustrations for written texts, but an independent source of historical information, with no less value and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-me-archaeology-is-not-a-source-of-illustrations-for-written-texts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On the whole, mental archaeology was a sordid digging proposition. The evil men did endured, the good was infinitely more ephemeral. You could generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-kieran-reilly/on-the-whole-mental-archaeology-was-a-sordid-digging-proposition-the/) [Helen Kieran Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-kieran-reilly/) > [Archaeology, I found, comprehended all manner of excitement and achievement. Adventure is coupled with bookish toil. Romantic excursions go hand in hand with scholarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/archaeology-i-found-comprehended-all-manner-of-excitement-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Jennifer K. McArthur > [“No data are excluded on subjective or arbitrary grounds. No one piece of data is more highly valued than another. The consequences of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-k-mcarthur/no-data-are-excluded-on-subjective-or-arbitrary-grounds-no-one-piece/) [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) > [“If we had enough data then this statistical approach would undoubtedly sort out these things, and a lot of problems are arising precisely because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-k-mcarthur/if-we-had-enough-data-then-this-statistical-approach-would/) [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) > [“That so far the material has been dealt with in a rather subjective way provokes the question whether a means can be found of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-k-mcarthur/that-so-far-the-material-has-been-dealt-with-in-a-rather-subjective/) [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) > [“The inadequacy of unidimensional plotting along a continuum (in this case the diagonal of a symmetric matrix) inevitably would make "buffer" elements appear non-conformist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-k-mcarthur/the-inadequacy-of-unidimensional-plotting-along-a-continuum-in-this/) [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) > [“The aim of the research is to determine what groups can be drawn up as a result of regular association of place-names. A further…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-k-mcarthur/the-aim-of-the-research-is-to-determine-what-groups-can-be-drawn-up/) [Jennifer K. McArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) [Explore all 6 Jennifer K. McArthur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-k-mcarthur/) ## More Archaeology quotes > [In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-archaeology-you-uncover-the-unknown-in-diplomacy-you-cover-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's very important to reveal the mystery of the pyramid. Science in archaeology is very important. People all over the world are waiting to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zahi-hawass/it-s-very-important-to-reveal-the-mystery-of-the-pyramid-science-in/) [Zahi Hawass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zahi-hawass/) > [Archaeology, I found, comprehended all manner of excitement and achievement. Adventure is coupled with bookish toil. Romantic excursions go hand in hand with scholarly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/archaeology-i-found-comprehended-all-manner-of-excitement-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Archaeology is the anthropology of the past, and science fiction is the anthropology of the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-vinge/archaeology-is-the-anthropology-of-the-past-and-science-fiction-is/) [Joan D. Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-vinge/) > [“Biological evidence indicates that man, evolving with his food plants, developed horticulture and agriculture in both hemispheres at a time which may well have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/biological-evidence-indicates-that-man-evolving-with-his-food-plants/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [On the whole, mental archaeology was a sordid digging proposition. The evil men did endured, the good was infinitely more ephemeral. You could generally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-kieran-reilly/on-the-whole-mental-archaeology-was-a-sordid-digging-proposition-the/) [Helen Kieran Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-kieran-reilly/) > [On the whole … archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millar-burrows/on-the-whole-archaeological-work-has-unquestionably-strengthened/) [Millar Burrows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millar-burrows/) > [“...If she were studying Orciny, and there might be excellent reasons to do so, she'd be doing her doctorate in Folklore or Anthropology or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/if-she-were-studying-orciny-and-there-might-be-excellent-reasons-to/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [Many years ago, when I was once saying sadly to Max it was a pity I couldn't have taken up archaeology when I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/many-years-ago-when-i-was-once-saying-sadly-to-max-it-was-a-pity-i/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [We, including many Christians, read the Bible through "eyes" conditioned by, and even accommodated to, modern Western culture plus the influences of messages and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-e-olson/we-including-many-christians-read-the-bible-through-eyes-conditioned/) [Roger E. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-e-olson/) > [For me archaeology is not a source of illustrations for written texts, but an independent source of historical information, with no less value and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-me-archaeology-is-not-a-source-of-illustrations-for-written-texts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I studied archaeology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cole-sprouse/i-studied-archaeology/) [Cole Sprouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cole-sprouse/) > [You know, many people believe that we archaeologists are just a collection of old fogies digging around in the ruins after old dried up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/griffin-jay/you-know-many-people-believe-that-we-archaeologists-are-just-a/) [Griffin Jay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/griffin-jay/) > [Every child thinks archaeology is about digging up land to find dinosaur remains and gold. I had the same intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhuvan-bam/every-child-thinks-archaeology-is-about-digging-up-land-to-find/) [Bhuvan Bam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhuvan-bam/) > [Ancient barrows get cleared away. Legislation is pretty much 19th century. Global warming means there is an awful lot of erosion, exposing new archaeology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robinson/ancient-barrows-get-cleared-away-legislation-is-pretty-much-19th/) [Tony Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robinson/) [Browse all 116 Archaeology quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/archaeology/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Statements that will hold good for all time are difficult to obtain in archaeology. The most that can be done at any one time is to report on the current state of knowledge.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer K. 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