5th November 2010, 10:25 AM
Sadly there aren't too many research excavations these days, and with all the cutbacks there aren't going to be too many academic posts for graduates to go after as an alternative, and they're mostly already occupied.... can't remember where I saw it published, but a senior environmental archaeology type recently pointed out in print that they don't understand all the courses training up specialists, since there are only a certain number of jobs in most fields and they're all already occupied, mostly still by the same people who invented them in the 70s and 80s.... digging holes is really the only opening for most grads if they want to stay in archaeology (if they can get one!), and while a passing knowledge of early Mesopotanian irrigation techniques is maybe a good thing in general terms, some skills that might actually get the graduate a job seem like a good idea?