16th March 2011, 03:29 PM
It's a good discussion, and I think very useful.
Recently I was talking with A CBA regional group (who will remain nameless) and they agreed they could act quite happily with or without the CBA name. If the CBA are ideally placed, where are they? The Community Archaeology Forum has something like about 60 projects. though they recently said there was 2000 groups. Do they talk for members? OR for Archaeology in general. They work with the IfA and others, but - like BAJR - paddle their own canoe too. Take for example the Courses database... lots of funding... (or BAJRs courses database ... no funding) who was it for, what is for? who knows about it? BAJR Guides to help people - free.. written by myself and other archaeologists who want to help and share knowledge - very useful and read by thousands. ( Do you see any sign of these on the CBA website? )
6000 with a passion for archaeology... but where are they. BAJR created a list of groups that are active in archaeology fieldwork - (with websites) circa 170 groups across Britain.
More to the point, if the CBA are well placed, should they be connecting with archaeologists like us? It would be good. I would ask for the meat that goes to the statement the CBA "is the only body with genuine links to, and concerns with actual people". Personally, I think I do quite a good job of that too. So this year I have projects and links that have encompassed Education - both adult and schools ( circa 250 individuals) Excavation... ( circa 50 -100 participants) and Young Archaeologists through both teh YAC club and my own work - including a playground based on an Iron AGe Hillfort and Medieval fields. (40 - 200 people) Plus an exciting year long art/archaeology/ecology project which will engage 100s over the year Thats just me... and there are more like me. We don't get paid top whack, but can often help create projects - projects that work, we write and lecture, participate and train. CBA are A body, but not THE body.... to become THE body, then there is a shift in attitude required.
I support the CBA - don't get me wrong, but like Kevin, I don't know why any more. :face-huh:
Recently I was talking with A CBA regional group (who will remain nameless) and they agreed they could act quite happily with or without the CBA name. If the CBA are ideally placed, where are they? The Community Archaeology Forum has something like about 60 projects. though they recently said there was 2000 groups. Do they talk for members? OR for Archaeology in general. They work with the IfA and others, but - like BAJR - paddle their own canoe too. Take for example the Courses database... lots of funding... (or BAJRs courses database ... no funding) who was it for, what is for? who knows about it? BAJR Guides to help people - free.. written by myself and other archaeologists who want to help and share knowledge - very useful and read by thousands. ( Do you see any sign of these on the CBA website? )
6000 with a passion for archaeology... but where are they. BAJR created a list of groups that are active in archaeology fieldwork - (with websites) circa 170 groups across Britain.
More to the point, if the CBA are well placed, should they be connecting with archaeologists like us? It would be good. I would ask for the meat that goes to the statement the CBA "is the only body with genuine links to, and concerns with actual people". Personally, I think I do quite a good job of that too. So this year I have projects and links that have encompassed Education - both adult and schools ( circa 250 individuals) Excavation... ( circa 50 -100 participants) and Young Archaeologists through both teh YAC club and my own work - including a playground based on an Iron AGe Hillfort and Medieval fields. (40 - 200 people) Plus an exciting year long art/archaeology/ecology project which will engage 100s over the year Thats just me... and there are more like me. We don't get paid top whack, but can often help create projects - projects that work, we write and lecture, participate and train. CBA are A body, but not THE body.... to become THE body, then there is a shift in attitude required.
I support the CBA - don't get me wrong, but like Kevin, I don't know why any more. :face-huh: