13th August 2011, 10:32 AM
Quote:With that in mind I will try and pick my final battle and make it something worth fighting for. When I do my first port of call will be BAJR an organisation/individual who has a well established reputation for fair and impartial advice and for getting things sorted.
I do tip my hat to you, and thank you for that. I do try, as a single voice with what I hope is a general backing. As you say I got there by trying to be fair, trying to listen, trying to find solutions and also because I have nothing to fear. I do get paid for adverts, but rather than just take the money I feel some sort of responsibility - hence I am so sorry when I do get it wrong - and so will never put money over what I feel to be 'right' ( which is in part influenced both by my own background and by the feelings of BAJRites.)
I would hope for a stronger IfA and we end up in that chicken and egg arguemnt all over again... if you don't join it, you can't influence it... however, as is being discussed, standards are only as good as the checks. I talked to Mark Spanjer Dutch archaeologist about the Standards document, and he quite rightly pointed out that the standards work in as much as process of archaeology but not as quality.
This is where we all have to look at our-selves... how important are we? why do we do it? Do we enjoy it? Why do we produce endless grey lit reports that we know {hand on heart} nobody will ever read.
Where is our passion? Where is the fun? Where is the communication? The sharing? Mark and I are both great advocates of archaeology is fun... or bloody well should be! ... and we do it for everyone to enjoy. If this is not the case in commercial archaeology then either a) become temporal contamination engineers or b) start thinking about how you can change. The BI lie is preservation in situ............ what a laugh... a box ticking fobbed off presentation of all that is NOT archaeology. what the blinkin flip is that about? I am an archaeologist I dig archaeology... I don't find it, and find ways not to dig it... knowing that rather than being saved for the future it will be ploughed out/the soil composition will change and it will fall apart/the vibrocompaction will screw it up/ the concrete raft will go a bit too deep... etc.... We rarely get to actually dig archaeology and if we do, it is under pressure and under budget.
Why? because we have no compelling argument for our purpose..
Give me money to date this pit..!
Why?
Er... because it is important...
Why?
er..
Feck off then!
Lets see a new archaeology which puts quality above cost, that puts sharing above all else, that includes people rather than excludes, that sees box ticking as only suittable for record sheets and not for quality assurance. THis is archaeology, it is not a high flying profession with billions riding on every decision taken by suited managers - blimey, some can't even get a kettle on site! We are entertainment, interest, diversion from the norm, the adventure, the quest, the social glue.
So I agree, lets see the IfA as the port of call... it should be... after quarter of a century it really should be. Lets see the IfA and RESCUE and CBA and Archaeology Scotland and ALAO and FAME, istoric SCotland, CADW, English Heritage, RCAMS and even little ol' BAJR and the myriad of others have a single goal, a single voice and for once... just once say... I think we all agree.. rather than panic that another is stepping on toes... or that there is a cross over that will erode their own self importance or that this is their area and how dare others suggest sharing... Imagine if BAJR adverts appeared on IfA website... it could and that CBA news was streamed onto here and every other website... that we all shared what we have and merged it to ensure that everyone - no matter how they came to us, would see the same... Archaeology as a united group... saying... we are important, because we feel that it is damn good fun to carry out archaeology and for the developer, a happy smiling public will be happy and smile upon you as well. Sometimes I want to return to the heady days of just after PP16. A brave new world that saw us think... right, lets get too it... before it felt better to slash budgets and cut corners, to meet deadlines and mitigate to the line.
So IfA - what about it? Time for a real change? a real shake up? Get the staff out into the field... do some digging? DO you? I don't know.... if you do... tell us... how does it feel? where were you... Become the new archaeology/
Rant mode over! Ah... better
Pulpit now removed.!
