Ode to the Real Oceanic Archaeologist. Lisa Matisoo Smith

Ode to the Real Oceanic Archaeologist

Summary

Limerick composed on the occasion of awarding the Marsden Medal to Professor Roger Green by the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Author

Lisa Matisoo Smith

Date

November 2003

Location

Auckland, New Zealand.

Limerick

Once some Flannery guy, first name Kent Wrote a book ‘bout an archaeology gent That he calls RMA Due to personal sway Towards a particular theoretical bent

RMA applies his vocation In a Mesoamerican location Some find it a mystery - his love, Culture History and his study of village formation

In the Southwest too Roger did play But thankfully he chose not to stay Off to Harvard he went Where he picked up that bent That was favoured by old RMA

To the Pacific he chose then to go Tahiti, Samoa, Nenumbo Adzes plano-convex And that cultural complex With the pottery we’ve all come to know

From the fieldwork to things theoretical used the “E word” – that’s almost heretical! Phylogenetic reconstruction, And linguistic deduction Used approaches you might call synthetical! (oh no!)

From the students he trained through the years Some so stubborn they brought him to tears The often imprudent Sceptical Graduate Student Feel to Roger we are in arrears

Now with real jobs we are spread about Of Roger's influence there can be no doubt As much as we’re hopin’ This bottle you’ll open Don’t drink it – worms aren’t good for gout!