20th May 2009, 08:07 PM
Hi Segovax,
I am so sorry to hear about your experiences and have had a few of my own. Starting a job we were all put up in caravans which hadn't seen life for about 20 years next to a rather large electricity sub-station. The caravans were so disgusting that they gave us all a day paid to clean them - HANG ON, thinking back - they got us to clean them? *shakes head*
I know that a lot of people say this - get out of archaeology and get a 'proper job'. This enrages me. Archaeology IS a proper job. All of us on the forum would agree that diggers without a full-time contract with a unit are treated poorly, and I hope the conditions have changed over the last 10-15 years (10 since I was on the 'circuit') and I think that the new sweeping wave of labour-induced health and safety regulations has gone some way to help this.
To truly make a career out of archaeology, I think that you have to become established with a unit. I know this is hard but the way to do it is establish a skill set that sets you apart from everyone else. You don't have to have a Masters Degree to do this, and you can even be just be an outstanding field archaeologist! I would certainly recognise this. I hope that other managers out there would.
And remember - as BAJR says - if we all work together to make the IfA sit up and help eradicate the exploitation of what is, in effect, professionals with the industry, then the change can only be positive. I hope you stay in archaeology Seg.
All the best, Gil.
I am so sorry to hear about your experiences and have had a few of my own. Starting a job we were all put up in caravans which hadn't seen life for about 20 years next to a rather large electricity sub-station. The caravans were so disgusting that they gave us all a day paid to clean them - HANG ON, thinking back - they got us to clean them? *shakes head*
I know that a lot of people say this - get out of archaeology and get a 'proper job'. This enrages me. Archaeology IS a proper job. All of us on the forum would agree that diggers without a full-time contract with a unit are treated poorly, and I hope the conditions have changed over the last 10-15 years (10 since I was on the 'circuit') and I think that the new sweeping wave of labour-induced health and safety regulations has gone some way to help this.
To truly make a career out of archaeology, I think that you have to become established with a unit. I know this is hard but the way to do it is establish a skill set that sets you apart from everyone else. You don't have to have a Masters Degree to do this, and you can even be just be an outstanding field archaeologist! I would certainly recognise this. I hope that other managers out there would.
And remember - as BAJR says - if we all work together to make the IfA sit up and help eradicate the exploitation of what is, in effect, professionals with the industry, then the change can only be positive. I hope you stay in archaeology Seg.
All the best, Gil.