Bad day at the office?!

[vulpes]

This caught my eye. http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/story-13...story.html

Anyone else had to dig a trench round a disgruntled member of the public?

[Marcus Brody]

Isn't that a Southwest Archaeology logo on the back of the hivis vest of the person in the photo? Surely this should have provided some indication of what was going on? I understand that the public perception of archaeologists is that they turn up wearing a stripey jumper and wielding a small paintbrush, so when they see a JCB and person in a hardhat and luminous jacket, they tend to think 'builder', but surely it could be explained to him that it's in his interest for the evaluation to go ahead, as if it identifies significant material, it may halt the development.

Also, can anyone tell me where I can commission one of those geophysical surveys that can identify the specific pottery types present on a site?

[P Prentice]

a farmer once set his dog on me and another escorted me off his land whilst carrying a cocked shotgun - but i deserved it because i said i was an archaeologist

[Dinosaur]

Have noticed (and been the victim of) being the first point of complaint for members of the public on big urban utilities schemes (even at 11.30 in the pub on Saturday night) .- you're always the person standing there doing the watching brief so you're the one they remember :face-crying:

- suppose could try moving more }

[FedUp]

erm also... how do you build a trench? That is some quality reporting!!!

[Dinosaur]

'swat you do when the machine driver's unilaterally gone back to work halfway through lunchbreak? Tidy the sides up and make the resulting hole look deliberate and 'archaeological' (see discussion on box-sections a while back) }

[RedEarth]

Been moaned at by a passing tourist because of the machine spoiling the lovely view and ambiance, despite the fact that it wasn't actually there on our account, we were just making use of it! Hi-viz is like cat nip for complainers!

[Unitof1]

Gosh-waited years to say this. A pre-determination evaluation trench does look like development to me. That’s what they do first on the land in development- they come in and dig trenches. It’s the trenches that does the most damage to the archaeology. Whys an evaluation trench exempt from planning permission.. Maybe what Steve Wood, my hero, should also point out is that the archaeologists are in the pay of the developer (landowner) which is the same as a conflict of interest-about as big as it gets.

Now why do I not like pre-determination trenches because they are illegal development. SteveWood well done.

The only time I agree with an evaluation trench is when a landowner undertakes an evaluation to determine the costs for an excavation.

All evaluation trenches should be undertaken post-determination as a condition of the development.

[Gaj]

I was rugby tackled once by a crazy Russian guy while we were doing a resistivity survey in the kremlin of little town near Moscow. He thought we were looking for his vodka stash that he had hidden from his wife by burying close to where we were surveying. He was raging.

[vulpes]

Whys an evaluation trench exempt from planning permission

um, because it's not development. Next question.

Now why do I not like pre-determination trenches because they are illegal development

Policy says differently....

All evaluation trenches should be undertaken post-determination as a condition of the development

Even if this were not a completely wrongheaded approach, the trenches undertaken would still not be development, unauthorised or otherwise as they would likely be carried out under a pre-commencement condition. i.e. prior to development. There wouldn't be much scope for evaluating afterwards now would there?! :p