So far the new BAJR baiting seems to be mostly consultants and managers discussing issues from a managerial perspective. I want to know what people think actually makes a good manager? Obviously keeping to budgets and timescales, but more importantly how they treat their staff. What do you respect in a project manager or project officer?

What is the value of a watching brief? To the developer it is often an open-ended and potentially costly expense; to the archaeologist it frequently provides a frustrating glimpse of something to which more time should be given. Is there another way?

Normally a watching brief is adopted following earlier forms of evaluation, such as a desk-based assessment and trial trenching. If the trial trenching has not found anything then fair enough (providing the trenches were properly located in the first place). However, I have known watching briefs to be required as the [u]only</u> means of recovering archaeological information, and substantial archaeological features have been poorly recorded.

Would a larger-scale fixed-price excavation at an earlier stage prove a better response? It would enable archaeological features to be properly defined and recorded, and would also provide the developer with a fixed cost.

Possibly controversial - and I am not leaning towards any particular viewpoint - I am just curious to see what people think...

You may have noticed my britarch query struggling to get through the horses head and metal detectors. unsurprisinglyy i received zero helpful replies. So i thought of you! would you have any leads for articles/publications/mentions of approximately how much of the Heritage Lottery is allocated to archaeological projects? I know it is miniscule (at least prior to 2000 when the 'Heritage Incentives' and 'Awards for All' grants were established) because i read that in something that i have since (frustratingly) misplaced.
any ideas?

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone knows of any groups that work in france/belgium/holland on the WW1 trench sites. My partner and i would love any opportunity to carry out some work in this field and any information that anyone could give would be greatly appreciated, thankyou.

Is it me or has The Digger, since the change in editor, become far too po-faced and serious? What happened to the Fantasy Unit League and why does blatantly left-wing polemic now dominate? I don't think the readership of The Digger have a problem with discussing serious issues but does it have to be presented as though it was written by a particularly humourless member of the SWP.

4HB, I share your concerns about archaeologists working for minimum wage but increasing the trainee rate substantially above current levels would force an increase to all pay scales, something that commercial archaeology companies won't agree to. It was only in 2000 that a company in the SE was paying trainees ?150 pw so ?200 pw does represent real progress.

I don't entirely buy the idea that archaeologists should expect parity with other graduate professions, who should new entrants into field archaeology claim parity with? If graduates are intelligent enough to obtain a degree then surely they should have had the sense to check out pay scales and career progression before they got into the job.

I'm all in favour of increased pay and better conditions but trying to claim too much will only set back the progress which has been made in recent years.

In a recent discussion with a... 'natioanl archaeology insitution' shall we say that the concept of the developer being liable for all expences was seen as the norm... this seems to completely forget the fact that the developer can then only see archaeology as a trap and a tax....

Should there be more financial help for

a. the small developer that finds a significant site (I kno... define significant!!)

b. a large developer who is shelling out 6 figure sums to jump through another planning hoop with little material benefit to them?

Nobody should take moral high ground here... but perhaps a debate is i order.

Do you agree with the Grades and LEvels set by BAJR... IF not why not.. ot do you see it as a step in the right direction??

Just thought I'd say I like the new site and the fact that you can do your CV yourself. The only think I would say is that I preferred being able to see the maps beside the jobs, it made it easier to skim down the list and pick out the right area before looking at the jobs!

Lucy