I thought this might be of interest to BAJRites. It’d be nice if some of them could use the money to pursue MAs in Archaeology at Newcastle, but equally the money might offer an opportunity for some to seek other kinds of PGT training. Further details and web link can be found below.

Newcastle University is offering a significant number of UK PGT scholarships to support students from under-represented groups to study for a postgraduate degree. The total scholarship fund is £400,000, and each award will be up to the value of £10,000 (Newcastle and non-Newcastle students/graduates are eligible to apply). The deadline for applications is 30 June 2014. Further details on eligibility and an application form are available on the website.

Dr James Gerrard AIFA AFHEA
Degree Programme Director (Archaeology)
Tutor for UG Admissions

School of History, Classics and Archaeology
Armstrong Building
Newcastle University
NE1 7RU

Ah the joys of Single Context Planning and GIS..

This week our post-excavation work took a leap forward: the digitising of the single-context plans has been completed and loaded into GIS (Geographic Information System). This means we can see every context from our site on one screen!

http://walbrookdiscovery.wordpress.com/2...n-the-map/

CALL FOR PAPERS *Apologies for Cross-Posting* * Please forward to Interested Parties*


Landscape Perspectives: new approaches in archaeological survey
Friday 19th and Saturday 20th September 2014
University of Sheffield

This is the inaugural conference of the Landscape Survey Group. It will offer fresh perspectives on archaeological survey by highlighting new approaches and the application of innovative techniques to landscape recording and interpretation. The conference will combine a day of talks, posters and demonstrations, with a field visit to local landscapes on the second day.

We are now inviting proposals for papers (20 minutes in duration), posters or demonstrations that address the theme of the conference. If you would like to contribute, please send a title and short abstract (250 words maximum) to Angela Gannon by Friday 27th June.

angela.gannon@rcahms.gov.uk
Angela Gannon, RCAHMS, 16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 9NX
For more information on the Landscape Survey Group, please visit our website www.landscapesurvey.org

A quick survey about the Archaeological Research Framework for Wales. We have had a good response so far, but would love to have a few more. If you haven't seen it yet here's the link.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5VY3B6H

The survey will close on Saturday night (5th April) so please take a few minutes to fill it in and do pass it on to friends and colleagues who may
not have seen it

Jenny

http://www.archaeoleg.org.uk
Facebook - Archaeological Research Framework for Wales group

Many of you ( who populate Facebook) will know of the growing concern and disgust over this show.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BAJRarch...up_comment


many people are making a hell of a fuss about the disgusting way this TV show ( made by a UK company) is promoting conflict archaeology... ! really!

http://conflictantiquities.wordpress.com...ntact-lie/

to catch up


to give you an idea of how bad this is. the "Archaeology" programme -- THESE ARE THE SUPERVISORS to help the amateurs make teh tv..

be prepared... when I first was this I was unable to watch the whole of it.

[video=youtube;utzric4jHrQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utzric4jHrQ&list=UUMruBwg2aPxggZVIch394Cg[/video]

ADS is pleased to announce that the Silbury Hill Digital Archive has been released.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5284/1024570

English Heritage has been engaged in work at Silbury since May 2000 when a vertical shaft originally dug in 1776 re-opened up on the summit. After temporary stabilisation, a major investigative programme revealed further local problems associated with lateral tunnels dug at the base of the hill in 1849 and 1968. After much public debate and scrutiny, a scheme for permanent remedial works was agreed and work was duly carried out between 2007 and 2008.

The digital archive for the Silbury Hill Conservation Project contains data created over 12 years of work from a desk-based assessment in 2000 to the remedial works in 2007/2008 as well as a year-long archive preparation project in 2012/2013.

The files available from ADS include:
*A full set of metadata files including those describing the data available from English Heritage Archives;
*A set of documents providing an overview of the entire archive and the archive preparation process;
*Site data-survey data and the site database;
*Post-excavation data: reports and spreadsheets regarding the finds and environmental work, reports and documents and site interpretation data: the site matrix, context index and phase summary

The image-based data has been deposited with English Heritage Archives

Although it only really comes in on the 4th April -- the new BAJR Rates for 2014/15 are now online for all new jobs. --- yes... I know... as ever there is a crossover issue. but until perfection .. here is what the new rates are. and yes... for the eagle eyed, the IfA and BAJR Rates are now in concordance.

G1 Depends on training & outcomes
G2 £17,094.00 (PIfA)
G3 £18,276.55
G3/4 £19,125.15
G4 £19,911.00 (AIfA)
G4/5 £21,106.55
G5 £22,463.50
G5/6 £25,738.25 (MIfA)
G6 £28,322.49
G7 £36,802.48

and again... these rates are the absolute minimum one should expect. you should look for employers who pay above. If you are taking a self employed position. the rule of thumb... rough calculation 180% of salary.position and make sure you have a contract.!
Time to look to the future, to start looking beyond the pay and on to skills and training.
good luck people

Hi all, my name is Andy Baines and I'm a keen metal detectorist.

I run a blog located at www.diaryofadetectorist.blogspot.com which has a bit of a debate going on at the minute.

I'm sure you are nearly all aware of the constant criticism detectorists get from a man called Paul Barford, well the debate started due to Paul saying detectorists are damaging the archeological record by only removing metallic items from the top soil. An anonymous commentor calling himself Steve joined the debate and made a claim that professional archaeologists on a dig often use a mechanical digger called a 360 to scrape and remove the topsoil (up to 50cm) and put it on a spoil heap. He says this is done to allow archaeologists to get to the items they want to document and is the cause of not enough funding or a tight time scale. Now obviously if there is any truth in these comments it means that metal detectorists who find and record items from the topsoil are actually helping the archaeological record instead of hindering it.

What I was wondering is if this is true or not? Is mechanical excavation a used technique?

I hope by putting my blog link i have not broke a forum rule ? If so please delete the link and i will rely your comments from here to the readers of my blog.

Kind regards

ah me... seems I have some issues about uploading images.

I am drowning in work just now -- some of it even paid!

So I assure you I will sort this.

It may require an overhaul anyway. and that is no bad thing

Can't have you lot getting too comfortable in the red leather padded chair that is BAJR

but until then... Apologies

The following resolution was passed at the Plenary at WAC-7, and later approved by the Executive Committee. This resolution, which encourages systematic efforts to develop a scholarship of community engaged archaeology, was first proposed by Neel Kamal Chapagain (Nepal) and Michael J Kimball (USA), and derived from a WAC-7 session titled “The Past is Living in the Present.”

Resolution concerning the relationship of archaeology and archaeologists with extant custodial and affiliated communities The archaeological community increasingly engages with local communities through research and educational activities including public outreach. The World Archaeological Congress supports works presented at various sessions of WAC-7 in Jordan, as well as and institutional attempts such as ICCROM’s Living Heritage Approach, which exemplifies principles, methods, and theoretical frameworks for properly valuing and engaging with unique world views and knowledges possessed by local communities.

These approaches illustrate the vital importance to custodial communities of such world views and knowledges. In recognition of this, WAC encourages systematic efforts to develop a scholarship of community engaged archaeology through which such work can be documented, problematized, and improved with the goal of achieving holistic knowledge, participatory research, sustainable community development and management of archaeological heritage.


Very soon, the text of all approved resolutions from WAC-7 will appear on the WAC website (http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/). The WAC Executive encourages discussion of and responses to WAC resolutions.


BAJR Note [was a small part of these discussions]
I am glad to see the emerging worldwide understadning that archaeology, preservation and support, comes from creating a feeling of working together and engagement where community led archaeology is as important and academicly valid as well. -- if you are in Istanbul this September... then you will be hearing that from a few speakers ( including me again - all part of my badger world tour). If we want support from the public, we have to remember we are the public too. and our professionalism ( no sniggering at the back) does not preclude working and assisting interested local communities to explore their own past.