ethnic minority

[judy]

Dear BAJR Host
What about a paper on ethnic minority in British Archaeology for our conference, I find this is a very nice topic (being an ethnic minority my self), it a very now issue and it will help us to get some badly needed funds for our cause of starting a union. I know many archaeologists from ethnic minority who will love to have their say.
Another thing, what does every one think about holding the conference in London? The BM for example?
Please tell me to stop writing if I?m irritating you all. I have nothing to do but think of the question of Life the Universe and every thing?


Spare a job Please

[achingknees]

Judy

Many archaeologists from ethnic backgrounds?!? I've only met two since the 80s. Good topic though.

[sniper]

have to agree that its a good topic, but that I have also only worked with a couple of ethnic minority archaeologists. Maybe a paper on what could be done to encourage a more ethnically diverse workforce? Would you be prepared to write it judy?

as for the conference being held in London, as far as I know no venue has yet been decided. I am personally of the opinion that London is probably the worst place to hold it in terms of expense and ease of access for everyone. I know we were bandying about Glasgow and York as two possibilities, but that was before the great shutdown [:I] and it doesn't seem to have been mentioned since

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++

[judy]

achingknees:
In an archaeological tour around England (for a freelance work I?ve done) I went all over England translating for a group of visitors and to be honest with you until then I thought there are only a handful of archaeologists working in London. But in this tour I met archaeologists from different background working all over England. The only reason you haven?t encountered them is because they are a minority, you see that?s the idea, when people study the history of the land they live on they start loving it and defending its history and protect it, you give them a sense of belonging, don?t you think?

Sniper:
The same answer to you dear. As far as a venue concerned I thought London is a nice please for people to come to. I thought we could get the BM free if we are claver, and use some of the surrounding student halls for all the guests during school holydays, its very cheap. (its only a suggestion)
But saying that I would love an excuse to come to Glasgow I?ve never been, I?m not so sure about York however.
I don?t mind writing the paper but I know other people who are more suitable for writing it, From (India, Africa, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq who have lived and worked here for years).


Spare a job Please

[BAJR Host]

I think I would like to hear more about what you have to say.

In fact I would definately like to hear!

How are we doing about location? Can I help... who is doing the search

shall we formalise a conference commitee so people know who is doing what.

I was once in an anarchist group... but it was so successful that we only had two meetings, as nobody want to organise (seeing it as a right wing construct used to subjegate the people) the meetings



Another day another WSI?

[judy]

Yes, Help we need a lot of it.
Location, I don?t know, I?m new here remember.
Any way what is the conference title? ?BAJAR? or what? I think we have to sort this one out before moving to other things.


Spare a job Please

[sniper]

good idea about a committee hosty, as long as people are going to actually do what they have promised. I did get a pack about venues in York but as yet haven't done anything else in that direction, but then I was thinking that York seemed to have dropped off the list of possibles.

judy - could you find out more about the BM as a possible venue? and I am pleasantly surprised that you know a lot of people from all over who work in archaeology here. It would be great if either you or one of the people you know could write a paper. Tell us what is going wrong and how it can be changed...

++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++

[troll]

I`m liking this aplenty....
I stuck a post up ages ago about ethnic minorities....
Tiz high time we confronted the issue.Why is Brit archaeology dominated by white types? Where are we failing? Had a conversation with an Indian guy in Leicester t`other day on the same topic. He pointed out that Brit archaeology has nothing to do with his culture-past or present.As he placed his response in a context of "black" history-I pointed out that:
1. Arguably, Mr shin-bone who wandered upon Sussex beaches half a mill ago, was unlikely to be white!
2. Mithraic belief systems are from Iraq(ish) and temples to such were here 2,000 years ago?
3. Roman Britain was`nt a predominantly white indigenous society?
4. Iron Age cultures had extensive links with Arabic merchants?
I also had to point out that I`m thoroughly bored with the white middle class perception of our collective histories anyway.....
Judy-absolutely right-lets do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also-a good idea to have a conference steering commitee!

[mysteryman]

Perhaps, at least for foreign nationals, the money might be an issue. It costs an extortionate amount of money for a foreign national to study at a British university. I think at least ?7000 whilst I was at uni. Obviously students are not going to pay that much per year to pursue a career that doesn't pay all that much hence why there are lots of foreign nationals in medicine and very few in archaeology.

[sniper]

money issues doesn't necessarily explain the lack of "non-white" british nationals in archaeology though
Whenever a possible negroid (anatomical term) skeleton comes to light from Roman cemeteries, people seem to be very surprised and excited. Why should this be a surprise? Septimius Severus brought his army from North Africa to Britain in approx 200AD, and the army recruited people from all over. I'm sure merchants would have come from all over as well...


++ i spend my days rummaging around in dead people ++