15th January 2010, 09:19 PM
First post but a very very good one... highlighting all that is 'wron' just now.. the oversimplification of the 'problem' and the 'reasons'
So one to chew over... yes indeed .. the issues are complicated.. and archaeology is changing yet again... however.. rather than drive that change it seems that there is a flappuing confusion that results in change happening without any control of it.... AS an ex-Council Planning Arch I know only too well the issues from that side... and as a contractor the other... as an archaeologist however... I still remain true to what that word means... I am an archaeologist - I don't cut corners to save money.. I don't skimp on a specialist report to come in under budget... I don't put profit over archaeology... archaeology (as we continually preach to all and sundry ) is a finite resource... we tell others to preserve, to protect.. to cherish to take care... and then?? Before anyone gets huffy... I know that there are many many great projects... granted... BUT.. BUT... if you clear your mind and look carefully at the projects ... could you have done it better? if the answer is yes... then you have answered my question.
Perhaps the need to separate commercial archaeology - into a real construction industry sub discipline.. (my old fave... the Temporal Contamination Engineer) and leave archaeology... the active and long term research and careful search for answers in archaeology to archaeologists. This is not to say that a TCE and an arhcaeologist can't be the same, or a company can carry out both... however... do we guide our own destiny in separate little squalbbling groups... or shape it ?
Your post was most welcome
So one to chew over... yes indeed .. the issues are complicated.. and archaeology is changing yet again... however.. rather than drive that change it seems that there is a flappuing confusion that results in change happening without any control of it.... AS an ex-Council Planning Arch I know only too well the issues from that side... and as a contractor the other... as an archaeologist however... I still remain true to what that word means... I am an archaeologist - I don't cut corners to save money.. I don't skimp on a specialist report to come in under budget... I don't put profit over archaeology... archaeology (as we continually preach to all and sundry ) is a finite resource... we tell others to preserve, to protect.. to cherish to take care... and then?? Before anyone gets huffy... I know that there are many many great projects... granted... BUT.. BUT... if you clear your mind and look carefully at the projects ... could you have done it better? if the answer is yes... then you have answered my question.
Perhaps the need to separate commercial archaeology - into a real construction industry sub discipline.. (my old fave... the Temporal Contamination Engineer) and leave archaeology... the active and long term research and careful search for answers in archaeology to archaeologists. This is not to say that a TCE and an arhcaeologist can't be the same, or a company can carry out both... however... do we guide our own destiny in separate little squalbbling groups... or shape it ?
Your post was most welcome