7th August 2006, 10:26 PM
Is this turning into Public archaeology Vs commercial archaeology?
In my view public archaeology should be accesesable to all volenteers and professional, as I have said at having worked at Mellor as a volenteer has helped me as I got to work with people from a unit as well as some experienced archaeologists that where amatures.
I have worked with professional archaeologist for the past six months paid and some of them there skill and ability to do the job have been suspect at best, and this ranged from diggers to project managers.
While it is fine to rant about volenteers, you need to look at the professionals, and then criticise the volenteers who do archaeology because they are students trying to get the relevant skills that many universities now do not teach, many of the universities are research based and want you to go on and do a masters and phd.
For example I having done my undergrads degree I had not done any planning at any of the university digs or any section drawing, only vaguly important [?], it was only till I got to mellor I got the chance to do any and if it wasnt for a woman who was and is one of the best planners I have seen I would not know the which end of 6H or 7H pencil to use.
So yes, Trowelfodder while I agree amatures should not be doing commercial work, they should be doing things like Mellor.
Orkynowot.
ps check out http://www.mellorarchaeology.org.uk/
May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.
In my view public archaeology should be accesesable to all volenteers and professional, as I have said at having worked at Mellor as a volenteer has helped me as I got to work with people from a unit as well as some experienced archaeologists that where amatures.
I have worked with professional archaeologist for the past six months paid and some of them there skill and ability to do the job have been suspect at best, and this ranged from diggers to project managers.
While it is fine to rant about volenteers, you need to look at the professionals, and then criticise the volenteers who do archaeology because they are students trying to get the relevant skills that many universities now do not teach, many of the universities are research based and want you to go on and do a masters and phd.
For example I having done my undergrads degree I had not done any planning at any of the university digs or any section drawing, only vaguly important [?], it was only till I got to mellor I got the chance to do any and if it wasnt for a woman who was and is one of the best planners I have seen I would not know the which end of 6H or 7H pencil to use.
So yes, Trowelfodder while I agree amatures should not be doing commercial work, they should be doing things like Mellor.
Orkynowot.
ps check out http://www.mellorarchaeology.org.uk/
May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.