Latest Job Losses in Archaeology Report Available

[trowelmonkey]

Well spoken.

[BAJR Host]

was typing furiously.. so it is a bit soapbox

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[trowelmonkey]

I started with the furious typing, read it and then saved it for later editing.... There's something to be said for a strong narrative thrust and I was going the way of a kitchen sink

[oldgirl]

Haven't had a chance to listen to 'Making History' so can't comment on the BBC element.

I think the IfA survey is well thought out and interesting. Hopefully next quarter will see things getting a little brighter.

On your point about Community Involvement though Hosty, I think many of those types of post have been around for a while. It's just that they're standing out a bit more nowadays! And hopefully, by getting a wider viewing and not getting swallowed up in the 'unit needs 1,000 diggers now' ads, more people are considering taking them up.

I have always said, personally, that the land belongs to the landowner, but the archaeology belongs to everyone. But I also think that some amazing work has been done under the PPG16 archaeology which would never have been done without it. I've been involved with fieldwork before PPG16, on some cracking sites, and they were dug with volunteers and students on tight budgets. Most of the PPG16 digs I've been on were better dug and the outcomes were better. (For example - when the IFA was first set up, one of the biggest reasons that many 'august' archaeologists wouldn't join was that the IFA said you had to publish within 10 years) - one of my first jobs was trying to sort out the mess that was two fantastic sites which had never been written up - no funding - and the director was too busy off trashing other sites. I use the word 'trashing' not because the exacavation techniques were poor, but because if you don't write it up, there's no point having done it in the first place! In fact it's worse, because no-one else can excavate it either. I'm talking real notes on the back of fag packets being part of the archive here!

I think that the loss of many talented individuals from our profession is a terrible worry. Development will eventually pick up again, and if the commercial arms aren't there, I feel sorry for any 'community' archaeologists who need to pick up the pieces. They should be there AS WELL, not instead of.

[BAJR Host]

Well, it seems this post made an impact... I would be grateful if people could throw in more comments... including positive aspects of how commercial moves forward..

I agree that there has been lots done before.. but seriously, looking over the last 4000 odd adverts (has it been that many!) it is only recently they are coming to the fore in any great numbers. and more people seem to be stadning up and saying... WE are doing this. sometimes badly...sometimes ok.. sometimes as stars... I would say that working with community is both rewarding and tough... however, it does remind us of who we do it for.

I guess the concept is that we can look at the past (in legislation terms) and say... time to move forward.. PPG16 was not per ce bad... but it is time to open up and return to the values I remember so well in York.. where good archaeology and public involvement did (and still does) go hand in hand.



"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[Paul Belford]

Just "listened again", well done Kenny...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00jxfqn

[Paul Belford]

Dr Yannis Hamilakis should read Richard Bradley's 2006 paper.

[Mna]

Oh to be an academic!
I wonder if Dr Hamilakis has any direct experience of working on developer funded excavations in any country or is he just a man of paradigms? Did listen to the radio with half an ear.

[BAJR Host]

It is interesting, and I came down half way..

continually stated on here is that the Contractors Client calls the shots, that we have to remember who is paying for it, that we don't do more than is required for the Client etc........ and yes we do the best for archaeology, but no more than the client is willing to pay for.

So how does that equate to doing the best for archaeology? It does not denigrate the field stff, it jsut says that PPG16 is well past sell by date... and now we have half an idea of what is happening next.

We all know deep down that developer funded excavations are not carried out to the same level as research ones... it is indisputable, it is a fact of nature... time = money. It does not mean that it is bad archaeology...

I can tell you a hundred sites where time pressures have meant making judgements on what to excavate.

5% samples anyone.

"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage."
Niccolo Machiavelli

[drpeterwardle]

Can we get back to the topic.

As I have said before we have to separate what is good for archaeologists from what is good for archaeology. I also seem to operate in a different system to the people posting .....

What the job survey shows in that smaller companies are now affected by the down turn and there is a skill shortage in people who do DBAs and building recording - the very start of the archaeological/building process and that the people who do post excavation specialist work are less affected.

How serious a problem is this?

Peter