http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/heref...289240.stm

Interesting one this. Loads of good prehistoric archaeology threateded by road development. I wonder how much was in the DBA. That councillor quoted at the end seems to be right, you couldn't make a tourist attraction of it. Features just aren't megaliths.

Hey all, i have finally reached that dreaded point in life where i am looking at getting a mortgage to setup my first home.

Myself and my girlfriend went to a local mortgage advisor yesterday at an estate agents to ask for advice and we were told the following:

To get a mortgage with just my girlfriends salary (non archaeologist) of 17k, we would get approximately 50k to play with, which is nothing.

If i got a permanent job, most probably outside of archaeology, earning 12k at the mininum, we could get upto 140k. how an extra 90k from a 12k salary can be achieved i dont quite understand.

Now if i stayed in archaeology, digging as i currently am, he said that not many brokers would touch us because of the lack of a permanent contract and those that did, wouldn't offer a particularly good deal. Even though if i stuck to pipelines i would be bringing home double per year than my girlfriend.

I feel that the advice we were given wasnt particularly useful as the advisor seemed to be stating that unless i got a permanent contract then i would not stand much of a chance in getting a mortgage.

I do not want to be forced out of archaeology purely because of a bank but setting up a home is a priority. I know many archaeologists must have come across this problem before and many be able to offer some advice.

With the current situation within the proffession today, the fact that it is a diggers market, keeping a salary coming in isnt that much of a problem, even when switching units.

Here I am yet again. the never ending question to join the IFA or not. As a field archaeologist of many years I have always come down on the side of not due to lack of any obvious support/interest in us muck monkeys. However, am I just sticking my head in the sand and missing vital information that would have me rushing for the application form? So many more units now say they want folk to be members, many with the approval of relevent unions, so is it a case of 'cave in and join under pressure' or find out they are actually working for us and happily become one of them?
Please help a confused, tired and emotional archy come to an informed, and hopefully final, decision on this ole chestnut.
many thanks

Is it me.... or do you not get sick of anyone who has watched a couple of episodes of Time Team can go out in the field and call themselves an Archaeolgist!

Yes you are right I have had a couple of bad complaints...

Blimey, when pressed one admits that he actually is a <edit> but has been on a couple of archaeology digs..... that don't mean you can go out an direct an excavation on a Bronze Age site... ! With no p-ex, no report... no need to adhere to any standards...




I don't weant this to turn into anything other than we should really think about protection of the name and title... we (I) worke(ed) hard to call our(my)self Archaeologist - I am proud of that title, and like local arch groups as well (who have people who have earned the title with hard work, study, and a record of doing the job right, to a standard) we can't be dragged down by peopel whose ability is perhaps not at the same level as their belief.

Rant mode over!!!!!!!!!! :face-thinks:



"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

If anyone will be in the Oxford area on Sunday 22nd July, and doesn't get enough of an archaeology fix from their day job, you may wish to visit an open day at the Oxford University dig at Marcham/Frilford. We are working on a Roman ritual site, the main features of which are a temple, an amphitheatre-ish structure and some miscellaneous buildings. See http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/research/resear...ts/marcham for details.

The site lies just south of the junction of the A415 and A338 at Frilford (Oxon), behind the former 'Noah's Ark' pub. Be prepared to be stung for a 'voluntary' donation on arival (with all takings going to support the project).

John

"Hidden wisdom and buried treasure, what use is there in either?" (Ecclesiasticus ch20 v30)

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/impact/

The petition aims are two-fold:

1) A recent announcement by the Government to increase the number of homes built by 2016 to 240,000 per year will significantly impact upon archaeologically sensitive areas in Britain and proposed ‘fast-track’ planning will considerably impair the ability of regional archaeological curators (Planning Control Archaeologists and County/City Archaeologists) to formulate adequate responses to the threats the archaeology will face. Nor is it likely that under the proposed new legislation those curators will be given adequate power to ensure that developers fully address the archaeological implication of their actions. Currently, despite PPG16 and especially with reference to new housing archaeological mitigation is seemingly lacking or of low quality due to pressures from planners and government.

2) That archaeological curatorship in all counties and authorities is of equal quality of the best of those areas. Currently, there can be wide disparities of the quality of curators from one county or authority to the next, which is to the detriment of the quality of archaeological research carried out under the auspices of PPG16.

:face-huh: well I'll back that... you see I believe in everything being linked... to raise pay, we have to have better standards and curating .. to do that we need to be ready for the massive devlopment, where we can and should be part of the process as professionals, rather than the undervalued hangers-on..

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

Since it’s Friday (please say it is), here’s a quote from Jim Hacker (Yes PM):

"I know exactly who reads the papers: The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; The Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is." – there’s also a bit about Sun readers, but makes a ornithological reference which when straight over my head…..

Own up then, who wants to run the country?


RAmen

The Higher Education Academy are holding an event on Developing an Inclusive Curriculum, Sept 7th, York.



http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail...07_sept_07

During the day the Subject Centre are holding a workshop aimed at subjects dealing with the past (History, Classics, Archaeology, Heritage Studies, Museum Studies, Art History, etc) and are currently looking for contributions. If you are interested in participating or presenting a paper on your experiences or thoughts on curriculum development with regard to inclusivity (or equality and diversity to use the old buzz words!), please email Karina.croucher@liverpool.ac.uk


"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

Hi peps looking to spend some serious dosh on a definative book on the Neolithic in southern Britain any good un`s out there.

Close enough for a country job!

Trying to find out if the PAGODA report and the AIP(?) report are one and the same or separate beasties!