7th August 2006, 05:10 PM
Am afraid this is going to be a rant - 1 proffesional to three volunteers!!! Are you insane! How the hell do you think anyone would get any work done! Its bad enough when the recent grads on site outnumber the rest of the staff! Do you think that there are enough people with the experience to devote that amount of time and as for gaining supervisory experienc to allow them to progress their careers the phrase to many chiefs, not enough indians springs to mind.
Staff should be able to help out a few collegues who lack experience but if they are formally expected to supervise they must be paid as a supervisor. If they are not deemed competant to do this for finantial reward they should not be exploited by being expected to do it for free.
Archaeology is a proffession inst it about time we stopped promoting it as anything else.
Commercial archaeology should be just that. Commercial. Public participation has no place in this sector. Obviously talks letures etc on finds to interested groups should be carried but we must not forget that as much as many of us would like it to be so, we are no longer run in the same way as museums and university departments.
I know it sounds harsh but we need to promote and maintain standards and as such we should not have to deal with public participation as a substitiute for staff. Careers need structure and volunteer is not a career - pay people for the jobs they do.
Intersted ametuers should look elsewhere. I may sound like an archaeological nazi but i believe it is a job best left to the proffessionals. Run open days, give site talks and tours, let them see and handle finds but thats where it should end!
Staff should be able to help out a few collegues who lack experience but if they are formally expected to supervise they must be paid as a supervisor. If they are not deemed competant to do this for finantial reward they should not be exploited by being expected to do it for free.
Archaeology is a proffession inst it about time we stopped promoting it as anything else.
Commercial archaeology should be just that. Commercial. Public participation has no place in this sector. Obviously talks letures etc on finds to interested groups should be carried but we must not forget that as much as many of us would like it to be so, we are no longer run in the same way as museums and university departments.
I know it sounds harsh but we need to promote and maintain standards and as such we should not have to deal with public participation as a substitiute for staff. Careers need structure and volunteer is not a career - pay people for the jobs they do.
Intersted ametuers should look elsewhere. I may sound like an archaeological nazi but i believe it is a job best left to the proffessionals. Run open days, give site talks and tours, let them see and handle finds but thats where it should end!