The Three Anchors
To avoid Disciplinary Capture, Archaeobytology needs its own territory:
- The Center: A research hub (e.g., "Center for Digital Sovereignty") that can receive grants and hire staff, even if it doesn't grant degrees.
- The Program: A curriculum (Minors, Majors, Certificates) that validates the skill set and creates a pipeline of students.
- The Lab: A physical space for Digital Forensics, ensuring that the work is seen as "science" (requiring equipment) rather than just "theory."
Why "Homeless" Disciplines Fail
Fields without anchors rely on the charity of other departments. When budgets are cut, the "interdisciplinary" projects are the first to be evicted. Anchors provide defensive fortification.
Field Notes
The "Internet Archive" Model: The Internet Archive is a massive anchor, but it sits outside the university system. We need equivalent anchors inside the academy to legitimize the field for future generations of scholars.