14th November 2010, 01:24 PM
David said:
"But surely you would rather know if they can set up a total station? or half section a pit? or take a level? know what settings are needed to take a sensible record photograph?
"Well....er......yes....." and does a degree teach any of these things?" um...er....no" I rest my case."
Actually David I was taught all of these things (admittedly it was a theodolite and edm rather than a total station which had not been invented then). We were also taught to use plotting and plain tables as well as chains and a lot more practical things as well. David what do you know about photogrammetry?
Archaeology is an academic research subject and thus a degree is essential, I will not employ anybody without a post graduate qualification. Yes there are too many graduates but let’s not get side tracked. Cuts in government spending are necessary and would have happened whoever was in power. Lobbying about spending cuts in heritage funding is very necessary. People always forget what heritage brings to the economy via way of tourism and its contribution to education. For some periods archaeology is the only means of obtaining knowledge. It makes a vital contribution to society. To paraphrase PPG 16. To my mind the worst things about PPS 5 is that the reason for recording, research and preservation is omitted.
What we need to lobby government about why heritage, history and archaeology are important and if we can convince government of this many things will just follow.
What is the second biggest use of the internet?
Why do tourists come to Britain and what do they do?
What proportion of the population visit a church every year?
Why is heritage good for the health of the nation?
For example Stonehenge has 750,000 visitors a year each paying who ?7.90 to get in – that is six million a year. They also spend in the gift shop and at the food stall. How much more would spent in the shop was bigger (and thus had a bigger selection of goods) and it had a proper caf? and restaurant? If we say that the profit made is five million a year then the 25 million cost of the visitor can be seen in perspective. Why EH could not make a business case for the visitor centre I simply do not know.
The Yorvik Centre has over half a million visitors at ?8.95 a time and its shop at one point had had the second highest revenue per square foot of any shop in the country. These are the kind of points that government need reminding about.
Dr Peter Wardle
(David – one my stats exam questions was calculating the number of turnstiles that would be needed for the Yorvik centre. The correct answer was 2.4 and we had to justify our answer in whole numbers. I suggested that 10 was more realistic number and the estimates of visitors number were too low. Archaeology is more than just digging.)
"But surely you would rather know if they can set up a total station? or half section a pit? or take a level? know what settings are needed to take a sensible record photograph?
"Well....er......yes....." and does a degree teach any of these things?" um...er....no" I rest my case."
Actually David I was taught all of these things (admittedly it was a theodolite and edm rather than a total station which had not been invented then). We were also taught to use plotting and plain tables as well as chains and a lot more practical things as well. David what do you know about photogrammetry?
Archaeology is an academic research subject and thus a degree is essential, I will not employ anybody without a post graduate qualification. Yes there are too many graduates but let’s not get side tracked. Cuts in government spending are necessary and would have happened whoever was in power. Lobbying about spending cuts in heritage funding is very necessary. People always forget what heritage brings to the economy via way of tourism and its contribution to education. For some periods archaeology is the only means of obtaining knowledge. It makes a vital contribution to society. To paraphrase PPG 16. To my mind the worst things about PPS 5 is that the reason for recording, research and preservation is omitted.
What we need to lobby government about why heritage, history and archaeology are important and if we can convince government of this many things will just follow.
What is the second biggest use of the internet?
Why do tourists come to Britain and what do they do?
What proportion of the population visit a church every year?
Why is heritage good for the health of the nation?
For example Stonehenge has 750,000 visitors a year each paying who ?7.90 to get in – that is six million a year. They also spend in the gift shop and at the food stall. How much more would spent in the shop was bigger (and thus had a bigger selection of goods) and it had a proper caf? and restaurant? If we say that the profit made is five million a year then the 25 million cost of the visitor can be seen in perspective. Why EH could not make a business case for the visitor centre I simply do not know.
The Yorvik Centre has over half a million visitors at ?8.95 a time and its shop at one point had had the second highest revenue per square foot of any shop in the country. These are the kind of points that government need reminding about.
Dr Peter Wardle
(David – one my stats exam questions was calculating the number of turnstiles that would be needed for the Yorvik centre. The correct answer was 2.4 and we had to justify our answer in whole numbers. I suggested that 10 was more realistic number and the estimates of visitors number were too low. Archaeology is more than just digging.)