'As best practice, we positively encourage SCAUM members to make the Health and Safety Manual available to their staff, by downloading it onto their own internal systems.'

...so says the SCAUM secretary. So, who has seen the new 2007 H&S manual and updates on their unit's internal system or as printouts?

Sign up against the latest government plan to increase the cost of motoring in the 'travel tax'. In essence all vechiles would be required to have a receiver fitted which would log all miles traveled... Your account would then be debited accordingly.. Also, a nice way to keep track of your citizens }

So far 1.5 million have signed up.

For more details follow the link below

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

Seems that in Sweden, all archaeology is seen as publically owned property.I confess at the outset that I have no real impression of just how this works or otherwise-anyone? but it just strikes me that Swedens perception of the intrinsic social value of their archaeology is a good start.When so much of our archaeology is being eaten through development and reduced to a4 paper reports, I just wondered how the Swedish system works or, not.Does the concept of public ownership also include consultation and accountability to the public? Does the state provide a bottomless purse (no sleep till natural) or does it err on the side of preservation in situ? Just how would such a shift in policy over here affect our perception of archaeological value? Is public ownership of archaeology desirable? There just seems to be such an ideological contrast between Sweden who seem to value their nations identity and ours, where we compete to remove it.:face-huh:

..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)

Below is a message posted on Britarch from the secreatry of the standing conference of archaeological unit managers.

Could all britarcher respect this - in any event at present there is no members only log in.

Peter


"Dear All,
After an incident when the log in URL for the members-only section of the SCAUM website was posted onto BAJR by a project officer of a member organisation, I wish to remind our members that SCAUM is an employers' organisation, and the registered person should be the 'unit manager', with the option of a nominated deputy (for log-in purposes or attendance at meetings on behalf of). As best practice, we positively encourage SCAUM members to make the Health and Safety Manual available to their staff, by downloading it onto their own internal systems (instructions for download are next to the link for the manual on the website).
.

Although we expect 'unit managers' may make their personal log-ins
available to whoever they feel needs them, we do not expect SCAUM
members to publicize the member registration URL to all of their staff, and if non-named SCAUM members are found to be registering to use the website in their own names, their registration will be barred.

Please do use the website, and post comments - it will only work as a dynamic forum for members if you actually participate! I would
particularly welcome members posting links to their own organisations.

Best wishes,
Kate

--
Kate Brayne EMail info@scaum.org
Hon Secretary SCAUM

I've lifted this thread from the Druids one 'cos it had barely anything to do with Druid's and ancestral claims.

Here's the last post:

"Brilliant! I'll give a pint to someone who can come up with a decent and evocative name for a our new paradigm!

Have you got a reference for that Bradley piece? I remember someone mentioning his project last summer but haven't got round to looking it up.

I think I agree mostly with that, although, I would like to see greater signs of movement the other way - universities to commercial - or at least greater discourse. I can see it happening in some places but its no-where near convincing at the moment and those who are engaging in it appear to be the exception to the rule. If its a one-way infiltration we're going to be having this discussion for a long time.

YET, I get the impression that most or many academic archaeologists have adopted a position critical of both processual and post-processual viewpoints (whilst accepting some aspects), and so surely have made a shift of sorts. Maybe that's just from where I'm sitting though. I remember someone suggesting that perhaps we should decapitate the upper echelons of the old guard (getting really revolutionary now)in academic institutions and perhaps we may encourage a greater degree of debate without having to worry about a bunch of dusty old timers covering their ar**s, and guarding their pensions.

I would hasten to add that that is not my opinion, but if it happened it would be interesting to see how it affects the mix ! One thing that really annoys me is that, whilst there is continual complaint that universities are producing a stream of graduates who are only worthy of trowel fodder status on site (not my words) - initially at least, I don't think the majority have a clue about what we're talking about hear, either. Post-processualism to some appears to be an excuse to get the dictionary out and then look confused when they can't find a definition.

And another point, maybe what we're seeing is not in fact subject to the concept of paradigms at all. Ever thought of that? Maybe Kuhn got it right as an observation, but scientific philosophers and others have managed to create a self-fulfilling and somewhat circular prophesy. Oh dear, I appear to be in the ivory elevator, rising rapidly!

p.s. i've heard it mentioned a few times by people in conversation. The only person I can remember coming out with it definitively is Tim Taylor, though. I like it as a descriptor, but perhaps it is more representative of a theoretical reactionism....or maybe I need a ciggy break and a double strength coffee!"

Having just recieved my new edition of British Archaeology I was a bit disturbed by a small article on the reburial of "ancestral remains" and have typed it in its entirety below

"The debate about curating ancient human remains, which to date in Britain has largely concerned recent and historical material, is set to enter a new phrase. The Council of British Druid Orders has asked that "Druid ancestral remains" in Avebury museum, Wiltshire, including a prehistoric child displayed since 1938, be reburied. This is thought to be the first time that either the National Trust or English Heritage have recieved such a request. Sebastian Payne, EH chief scientist, says they will follow the process set out in recent DCMS guidence. Lindow Man, say COBDO "is another candidate for reburial" (British Archaeology March/April 2007; 9).

Whilst its easy to dismiss this group as a bunch of crazyees (and even easier to do so if youve ever met any of them)it does have some quite frightening implications for archaeology if taken seriously by the powers that be. Similar situation to america soon? :face-huh:

Should amateurs be allowed to get involved in commercial archaeology excavations?

Hi as a field archaeologist of four years I decided to go back to univeristy to undertake a Masters in public archaeology (a moment of madness!). I believe that the public should have access to archaeology but that this is not a black or white situation - infact it is a wide variety of shades of grey.

Anyway I am writing a paper on commercial archaeology and its relationship to the public and vice versa - inspired by a couple of conferences on community archaeology that I have been to over the past few years. One in which members of a key archaeology institution discussed commercial archaeologists like we were some evil variety that deliberately intended to keep excavations to ourselves}. They acted like "community archaeology" was a completely seperate thing which I think is hilarious as often its commercial companies who are brought in to run these community affairs.

the other conference - the people presenting the conference had positive views about how the public and archaeology could interact BUT at the end members of the public suggested that commercial archaeologists should be giving up their time to get people involved. So after eight hours (if your lucky) digging in rain, sleet and snow you should stick around for another hour (unpaid)and give tours!!!![?]

It seems to me that there is a general lack of understanding about what commercial archaeologists do and how we operate - would you agree?

Anyway I just wanted to get other peoples views on the realities of getting the public involved specifically in commercial arch (not other forms)but not necessarily digging. Although any views on volunteers digging and the potential danger of their being used to replace qualified archs as freebie staff would be welcome too. Also has anyone encountered negative reactions by public about a dig (its never happened on a dig I have been on).

Question... please help me. I and fellow students doing this DBA are having an argument over whether detectorists (as in metal detectorists) is a real word.

I think it is but they don't.

But then again we are all going slowly loopy so who knows....

God that sounds like something you could get from the Early Learning Centre...

Anyway, hello all I'm back. Hope everyone is fantabulous and groovy.

I'm now in the second year at Bournemouth and evrything is suddenly piling up. Doing my first desk based assessment which is due in on mon and have to ask.... do they ever get any easier?? [?]

I feel like I'm being really thick... am I making a right meal of it or what? This is only a short one too... 2000 words. It shouldn't be this bl**dy hard! (should it??)

Any tips?

Sorry if this post is a bit random... just needed a rant to those who may understand my plight (ie not various members of my family who don't know what I'm on about or other students who are going just as mental as me)