Okay this time I am trying to stir up a bit of controversy 
The idea of a time-travelling archeologist is an amazing one and one that has been used more than once.
So, at the risk of repercussions from @shauny 
, which is the superior time-travelling archeologist?
I can’t really compare as I haven’t explored Benny’s stories yet.
But I love River so much, I doubt that will change!
Vote River!!
Are you trying to get yourself banned, or what, with these polls? 
I voted for River simply because I respect @shauny too much and I don’t dare vote otherwise (real reason: I’ve only come across a couple of stories with Benny, so I can’t really form an opinion of her yet).
Literally the only piece of fanfic I’ve ever written was of River giving Benny her sonic trowel before going to the Library And there’s definitely a reason as to why I’ve not written anything else… I’ll stick with academia.
I also voted River out of not knowing Bernice. You should write a guide on how to get into her stories.
Honestly I would just start where I started in the first place, her first appearance in the VNA “Love and War” by Paul Cornell, just about half a year away in the Book Club - Big Finish has also done a brilliant adaptation of that novel (Sophie Aldred absolutely kills it in that one)
Can I go with a time travelling parapsychologist instead? 
Then I will listen to it someday
Professor Eustacius Jericho?
This is a tough one. I’ve loved Benny since long before River existed. On the other hand, the central conceit of River being created to both love and kill the Doctor, and the whole ‘never in the right order’ thing are both so charming.
For this poll, though, I have voted for Benny because the title says ‘Time traveling archeologists’ While River has at, one time or another, been an archaeologist, she’s also been an assassin, a pulp detective, and a general adventurer. Love for study and history are written through Benny like a stick of rock. River is more ‘time traveling’ and Benny is more ‘archeologist’.
And River does not have anything like Oh No It Isn’t! · Bernice Summerfield S1 • Episode 1 · TARDIS Guide
River did only get into archaeology so she could find the Doctor, after all 
I abstain, this is an utterly impossible choice 
On the one hand, you have River, who breaks out of a childhood of abuse and brainwashing to become so passionate and full of love, who adventures around the universe doing her best to help out where she can and being wonderful.
And on the other you have Benny, who is constantly letting herself get into trouble by being slightly too tipsy and slightly too horny (not a negative), but who has a razor sharp sense of humour and would throw herself in the line of fire for anyone she loved, or for anything she believed to be right.
I literally cannot pick, I adore them both. I choose Legacy of Time: Lies in Ruins. I want both
That might be the best description of Benny I’ve ever read!
I basically abstained both because I haven’t heard anything of Benny’s, and also because I kinda wanted to vote for Jericho. Or, you know, Amelia Rumford, who was an archeologist and should have gotten a chance to time travel…
NO ABSTENTIONS!
This is a Vengeance on Varos system of voting!
River Song is extremely significant to me, I could never not vote for her.
However, I’m greatly looking forward to getting into Bernice Summerfield one day, for sure c:
I know it will get me kicked off the TARDIS Team, but Professor Bernice Surprise Summerfield was the original and is by far the best.
And I’m going to say it - Lisa Bowerman is a better actress than Alex Kingston.
(Oh and River’s convoluted back story is just annoying, not clever. Sorry!)
Shots fired!
(Not that I necessarily don’t agree with you )
That’s ok, we are all entitled to our opinions.
Even when they are clearly wrong 
