28th April 2005, 11:06 PM
Could`nt have put it better myself Early! The competative tendering system exposes the finite resource to the filth of "cheapest-wins" mentality. To say the very least, the most important link in the chain is at the point of trowel. In the current (last 20 years) environment, the archaeological record has been skewed (screwed?) by competative tendering and the deafening complacency of the IFA. I have often wondered how we will explain this to the public in the future. The current system seems to view site assistants as a profit margin and smelly labour. It also seems to expect field archaeologists to move upwards and away from the coal face before they are accepted as equals in the industry. This is unacceptable, short-sighted and offensive. We all make our contributions to archaeology in different ways, many diggers have chosen to remain at the sharp end after careers in consultancy, curation or other specialisms. We`re not cannon fodder.