27th January 2006, 01:45 PM
As someone who commissions plenty of g-fizz surveys, I can tell you quite explicitly that selection of contractor very rarely comes down to cost. More often it is a matter of dealing with someone whose you trust and is available at the right time.
Any monkey can buy the equipment and set themself up as a g-fizz contractor (no difference here then to the rest of archaeology), and any trained monkey can operate the equipment and produce a plot. The real skill is in the interpretation, and this is why I always go with people I have worked with before and can trust. Sadly most brochures or similar puff from newly established g-fizz contractors go to the bottom of the pile.
However, previous posters are correct in that nothing is definite, and the use of g-fizz should always be seen as one tool in the bag rather than the only one.
Beamo
Any monkey can buy the equipment and set themself up as a g-fizz contractor (no difference here then to the rest of archaeology), and any trained monkey can operate the equipment and produce a plot. The real skill is in the interpretation, and this is why I always go with people I have worked with before and can trust. Sadly most brochures or similar puff from newly established g-fizz contractors go to the bottom of the pile.
However, previous posters are correct in that nothing is definite, and the use of g-fizz should always be seen as one tool in the bag rather than the only one.
Beamo