26th June 2006, 11:59 AM
Some extremely important truths in there Dr Peter!
I have found that drivers(inexperienced or otherwise) will perform in a far more effective way when they have been briefed prior to breaking ground.An endemic problem in commercial archaeology at least is twofold:
It is rarer than hens teeth for field archaeologists to be taken through the site/phase method statement and or project design prior to breaking ground.An informed team of fieldies is always far more efficient and engaged.Why have one archaeologist and 30 labourers digging a site when you could have 30 archaeologists engaged and informed? Digger drivers at best-turn up, start engine and are told nothing more than to follow the archaeologist.Its simple-take the time to engage with the driver, explain what it is you do, what you are looking for.This has done the trick on many occasions and to make a bigger point-they`re Human too.Site archies are used to being treated like cheap labour, digger drivers are`nt.In the end, the drivers had a good grasp and made extra efforts to maintain a consistant standard simply because we treated them with enough respect to have briefed them.One could obviously say the same for inexperienced archies watching machines.There is not enough briefing of staff prior to breaking ground across the board.A site tour is a rare thing in itself and is by no means enough.A site staffed by archaeologists who have`nt read method statements/project designs is a site excavated using only 10% of its most valuable resources-field archies.In a similar vein, you will always get more from staff of other industries if your own are well informed and engage with them.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)
I have found that drivers(inexperienced or otherwise) will perform in a far more effective way when they have been briefed prior to breaking ground.An endemic problem in commercial archaeology at least is twofold:
It is rarer than hens teeth for field archaeologists to be taken through the site/phase method statement and or project design prior to breaking ground.An informed team of fieldies is always far more efficient and engaged.Why have one archaeologist and 30 labourers digging a site when you could have 30 archaeologists engaged and informed? Digger drivers at best-turn up, start engine and are told nothing more than to follow the archaeologist.Its simple-take the time to engage with the driver, explain what it is you do, what you are looking for.This has done the trick on many occasions and to make a bigger point-they`re Human too.Site archies are used to being treated like cheap labour, digger drivers are`nt.In the end, the drivers had a good grasp and made extra efforts to maintain a consistant standard simply because we treated them with enough respect to have briefed them.One could obviously say the same for inexperienced archies watching machines.There is not enough briefing of staff prior to breaking ground across the board.A site tour is a rare thing in itself and is by no means enough.A site staffed by archaeologists who have`nt read method statements/project designs is a site excavated using only 10% of its most valuable resources-field archies.In a similar vein, you will always get more from staff of other industries if your own are well informed and engage with them.
..knowledge without action is insanity and action without knowledge is vanity..(imam ghazali,ayyuhal-walad)