8th July 2008, 03:17 PM
I agree with Dr. Pete that this is 'far from a monopoly situtaion', and also that in the free market competition is the regulator.
However this thread was entitled FUTURE monopoly, and, as I dont think there is any harm in being self reflexsive, I think that gone to pot has hit the nail on the head with the potential dichotomy that could emerge due to much commercial archaeology becoming carried out by a single private organisation. Particularly if the job of defining research priorities and methods starts to become the job of an unelected few as oppposed to a representatives of a democratic majority.
Without wanting to get accused of scaremongering, i just think its worth pausing and thinking about how the current archaeological system could work differently. And, even though lots more gets dug post 1990, was there actually a more cohesive strategy for archaeological research when the county units and rescue were first set up in the 1970's.
I think there is also a very good debate to be had over the use and meaning of the slogan 'the human journey'
However this thread was entitled FUTURE monopoly, and, as I dont think there is any harm in being self reflexsive, I think that gone to pot has hit the nail on the head with the potential dichotomy that could emerge due to much commercial archaeology becoming carried out by a single private organisation. Particularly if the job of defining research priorities and methods starts to become the job of an unelected few as oppposed to a representatives of a democratic majority.
Without wanting to get accused of scaremongering, i just think its worth pausing and thinking about how the current archaeological system could work differently. And, even though lots more gets dug post 1990, was there actually a more cohesive strategy for archaeological research when the county units and rescue were first set up in the 1970's.
I think there is also a very good debate to be had over the use and meaning of the slogan 'the human journey'