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+--- Thread: The value of a watching brief (/showthread.php?tid=7)
The value of a watching brief - troll - 31st May 2005
Consultants are not always happy for the watching-briefee to contact curators and highlight archaeology. Don`t forget, if money is an issue or, the consultant desperately wants to be friends with the baby client, you could uncover a new henge with fekkin` windows and it would still be trashed. WBs are only worth doing if research and organisation is first carried out by a professional-not by people whose skewed value systems load the cards before they`re dealt.
The value of a watching brief - charlie farnsbarnes - 31st May 2005
Before you go out to do a WB, you should have a look at the actual conditions that are attached to planning consent. In this area, the condition requires the archaeologist to be present during all ground disturbance works, ie before the trenches are dug, and gives them the power to stop work on the site to excavate features without the need to contact the curator. If complex features are found then there is still the need for negotiation with the client for more extensive mitigation, but otherwise, the on-site archaeologist can be in control of what happens on the site. I think there is an underestimation amoung field archaeologists of the extent of what they can and can't do on site, caused by a misunderstanding of the planning process. WBs are almost always a condition of planning consent, and as such, if the developer fails to impliment them, then they are in technical breach of consent. The archaeologist should make use of terms like 'technical breach' and 'stop notice', and make it clear that they are aware that the WB is a condition of consent, and therefore has to be properly carried out for the condition to be discharged
The value of a watching brief - Curator Kid - 31st May 2005
Quote:quote:Originally posted by mercenary
After reading some of the views on this thread I'm very very confused as to what curators actually expect, and I'm convinced it varies massively region to region. Perhaps you should compare notes.[?]
You are probably right that things vary from region to region, as I've heard this too - with the northern (English) curators having an apparently much harder time justifying works than in the south, where conversely, development pressure is supposed to be greater.
Personally, I hate watching briefs. I only ask for them following evaluation or assessment on areas where I'm fairly sure that there won't be anything of real significance (like Mr. BAJR Hosty), I always make sure there are big provisions within WSIs for contingency works if anything is found, and it is specified that the archaeologists should be on site while the excavations are taking place. I'd almost never ask for one on an un-evaluated site either, although I'm more amenable to strip map & record exercises in this situation - albeit again with contingencies in the WSI. Whatever the situation, it should be clear that at this stage, the development works are under archaeological control - not the other way around - then if I happen to be away most urgent situations are covered.
It's disappointing how many consultants and sometimes units still recommend WB's, when we all know they are largely awful. It may be true that they don't want the site personnel to talk directly to the curator too - I certainly think this has been the case on some sites in my area. Doesn't stop you or your supervisor/manager having the curator's phone no. in your pocket and giving him a call off the record if you want him to see something important. I often call in unannounced at sites (where I've not heard of problems I should add) just because I'm in the area on other visits, or passing by on the way back to the office. Local Society members are good at making a fuss too, so why not make some local contacts and quietly suggest they visit the site if you want to raise issues about stuff getting trashed. This has worked for me in the past. All of us working together to make sure archaeology is treated properly is the key.
The value of a watching brief - mercenary - 31st May 2005
Very interesting.
I appreciate the advice, and certainly agree about working together! I suspect that a bit of a wholesale culture change is needed up here with regard to watching briefs by all parties!
The value of a watching brief - Silent Bob - 3rd June 2005
I have spent time on at least 100 watching briefs (naturally almost all by myself)and god how I hate them. Its all very well to have to be present during all groundworks but try doing that for at least a week on a site with bugger all on it. After a while you are able to arrive on site and rapidly get an idea of whether or not you are likely to find anything. This doesn't mean that I don't look but recently I have spent much time standing around and wondering what I, a supposedly trained archaeologist, am doing wasting my life on sites like this. It often seems that you are being paid to go to a site where it has already been decided that there isn't much chance of finding anything. Woo Hoo, just why I decided to be an archaeolgist.
The value of a watching brief - BAJR Host - 4th June 2005
I feel A new Poll coming on... has anyone actually found anything on a watching brief??
Another day another WSI?
The value of a watching brief - mercenary - 4th June 2005
I've found much better archaeology on most of my watching briefs than on many excavations!!! If you don't find ANYTHING you're not looking!
The value of a watching brief - troll - 5th June 2005
Found plenty on wbs-if I found nothing, I`d record it too.
The value of a watching brief - achingknees - 6th June 2005
troll, mercenary...ditto me. some of me best stuff. knowing the game of battleships aka archaeological evaluation, there's always a good chance of hitting something. of course the watching brief beast has a wide extended family, and some are nicer than others. the best ones for me are big open areas (eg quarries) or transects (eg pipelines).
it's good if you can get on with the workmen, machine guy etc - they will often be extra eyes. but you also have to have some teeth to get respect.
The value of a watching brief - mercenary - 6th June 2005
Ooh, I don't like big open area WB's at all. No chance to clean more than a tiny percentage, and therefore little chance of finding anything except the most obvious ditches. Depends on the natural of course. I'm not a fan of bulldozers or dumpers tracking over everything either. Might as well stay home in those situations I reckon.
No, a nice little set of house foundations seems to get the best results for me. Which is probably why they end up as a WB, cuz the curator feels bad imposing an eval on a 1 house development!