BAR seems to enjoy provoking controversy in its inside pages, but now this tendency has moved to the cover as well. The ersatz cheesecake photo on your January/February 2005 cover is a poor imitation of Playboy or the swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated and belies the serious material offered in the substance of the magazine. Better to stick with tombs, ruins or cracked pottery on the cover to attract the aficionados of archaeology, especially for the issue arriving at Christmastime.

Was it really necessary to expose the young lady on the cover of “Digs 2005” to such mysogynistic treatment? Why is it necessary to encourage today’s cultural disrespect for decency?