11th November 2005, 01:56 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by troll
How would you characterise the differences between the skills needed by an experienced arch and those of a relative newcomer to the field?
A relative newcomer should have one remarkable character flaw that archaeology will eventually 'beat' out of them. This might be:
Trainspotting; Bus-spotting; Plane-spotting; a sexually dubious affection for Margaret Thatcher; sexual abstinence; metal-detecting; dreadlocks; facial piercing; knowledge of WWII battle tactics; membership of a re-enactment society; subscription to Current Archaeology; pet rats; pet lice; cheap trowels; Linx aftershave; Scottish/Welsh/Irish/Polish accent; parcels of freshly laundered underwear sent from parental home; desire to appear on Time Team; the phone number of Tesco's personnel dept just incase Archaeology doesn't work out; vast number of phone number of 'guys I went to college with;
A semi-experienced arch will have at least one remarkable character flaw they have acquired through archaeology. This might be:
Mockney accent; Canadian accent; CSA obligations; outstanding student loan; PGCE/MA/MSc/PhD; pet lice; a cough; beer gut; 'mini' trowels; body odour; Church-spotter; ability to overall diesel engines; obsession with the dead; small collection of stamped Samian bases; history of at least one zoonotic infection; more intimate body piercing; a declaration that they prefer to 'go commando'; a plastic hinged-lid tool box; a one off appearance on Time Team (the one set on the Welsh colliery waste heap); older girl/boy friend; phone number of building contractor just incase archaeology doesn't work out; adapted German parachute regiment clothing; one or two phone numbers of 'guys I went to college with';
An experienced arch should have at least one remarkable skill that might have been useful for about 3 hours, on a site they worked on about 10 years back. For example the ability to draw the sections of a completely flooded trench through being able to hold their breath for 10 minutes at a go and see through muddy water; intimate knowledge of that excavation where we kept [u]all</u> the building material; an one off interview on BBC East Anglia; appearance in 'The Lancet' with rare skin infection; grand-children; younger girl/boy friend; phone number of former colleague who is now a consultant; a back-log unachieveable in the remainder of their archaeological career; varied collection of 'badged' hi-vi vests; strange Norwegian digging tool; 'College, nah!! I'm an Job Creation Scheme/MSC 'graduate';