Hey guys. Like a fair few other posters, I am starting my first post-uni job in commercial archaeology! Just a basic question really. Someone mentioned previously about reading up about the first site you are involved in and trying to obtaining the WSI and DBA. Is it appropriate to ask for a copy before going out on site? I start on Monday but would like to read up before. Thanks for all the useful information on this forum by the way!

It goes on for half an hour but the first fifteen minutes is worth the price of admission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0639vps

"I want a local HER to be statutory although it will have to be regional so that I can have a job with a pension and pretend that I am a field archaeologist in the eyes of the public who all are dying to be local volunteer field archaeologists - and lets not mention that the council museum system would be bankrupt if were not corrupt". XXX

I have been looking unsuccessfully for the original wording for the Evaluation standard and guidance from 1994, when cifa was known as the Institute for field archaeologists. I don't think that there were any earlier versions than 1994 but I would be interested in any if there are.

Thanks in advance

http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/bajrpress/commu...ch-survey/

Historic England has commissioned Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service to find out how much archaeology, historic building and local history research is carried out by voluntary groups in England.

How many hours a day/week do you work and is this the same as the number you get paid for?
When most employees in the sector are paid for 37 hours would you consider a job on the same rubbish rate but requiring 40hrs work per week?

As the general view is that skills are slipping what three core skills does the new digger need?

CIfA Client guide published

http://www.bajrfed.co.uk/bajrpress/cifa-...published/

This guide is aimed at anyone who needs to meet the requirements of legislation or policy that relate to archaeology. It explains what you need to do and why you need a professional archaeologist to help you through the process.

BAJR has one as well. but what do you think... ( apart from the CIfA bias of course... which one has to say is pretty fair.

http://www.bajr.org/DeveloperWeb/Planning.asp

Would you consider ging to clients>>

So I have just had the life frightened out of me on this course and was just curious as to how up to speed people were with dealing with asbestos in archaeological contexts. I guess this mainly applies to post-med/industrial sites but is asbestos awareness a standard across archaeological companies? Building Surveys seem pretty obvious - some sort of refurb/demolition survey should have been done beforehand which identifies obvious bits. But archaeologically, things get a little muddy (in more ways than one). In soils it can be hard to identify if it has already degraded, particularly the brown and blue stuff and past experience has shown that trial pits won't neccessarily pick it up if its concentrated in particular areas.

Just thinking of the all the new people coming into the commercial world thick and fast who may even be of a generation where it was no longer used in buildings

Or am I just being paranoid, perhaps the risk is the same as tetanus or Weils disease?

Thanks in advance

i am trying to work out if this forum is dying a natural death brought on by apathy and boring posts or if traffic is being subverted by that perniciously offensive intrusion which you will all be sorry for joining eventually
i hate facebook

So what is more important meeting the needs of the client (quick, cheap temporal contamination removal) or maintaining and improving the standard of the archaeological resource? Have been hearing a few horror stories lately and am wondering if there has been a general decline in standards. As the tales I am hearing are hear say there is no point complaining to CIFA.