21st September 2005, 10:33 AM
As has been mentioned on other threads I don't think this is a question of not utilising staff of differing abilities but of striking a balance between getting the job done to the appropriate standard and giving those with little or no experience the chance of learning. We do need newbies coming up through the ranks and gaining the experience and skills required but we also need to keep in mind that if the digging/recording of the archaeology is buggered up then it is gone - we cannot go back and redo it.
I don't know about the unit discussed above but there are units (no names no pack drill) who do staff commertial digs with new graduates and vollenteers with only a few experienced staff. This ratio does nothing for the archaeology and to be honest does not equip new site staff with the nessesary skills to work effectively elsewhere (this is from experience of having employed some who have obstensively had 6 months - 1 year fieldwork experience but could not record or dig stratigraphically).
I agree with mercenary that there is a general decline in skill/experience levels in excavation teams. While this is not the fault of the individual site staff it is a general malaise in the profession (if I can use this term!). We lose experienced staff either upwards away from the field or outward to better paid more secure jobs but expect that less experienced staff will be able to jump straight into their shoes. While some can do this admirably we are ending up with excavators who do not relise they are making mistakes and supervisors who have not the experience to notice or if they do not see the problems it will cause further down the line.
Stop now ...Calm...Calm...deep breaths!
I don't know about the unit discussed above but there are units (no names no pack drill) who do staff commertial digs with new graduates and vollenteers with only a few experienced staff. This ratio does nothing for the archaeology and to be honest does not equip new site staff with the nessesary skills to work effectively elsewhere (this is from experience of having employed some who have obstensively had 6 months - 1 year fieldwork experience but could not record or dig stratigraphically).
I agree with mercenary that there is a general decline in skill/experience levels in excavation teams. While this is not the fault of the individual site staff it is a general malaise in the profession (if I can use this term!). We lose experienced staff either upwards away from the field or outward to better paid more secure jobs but expect that less experienced staff will be able to jump straight into their shoes. While some can do this admirably we are ending up with excavators who do not relise they are making mistakes and supervisors who have not the experience to notice or if they do not see the problems it will cause further down the line.
Stop now ...Calm...Calm...deep breaths!