10th November 2011, 05:53 PM
Most amateur archaeologist know very little about commercial archaeology or even where archaeology fits into the planning process. Explaining the structure of the current system to the public is one of the key things that professionals should be doing, join your local groups give lectures and talks open their eyes to how the system works (or currently the threats to it). Don't let ill-informed individuals with axes to grind drive a wedge between professionals and amateurs. Archaeology is for all and is a wide enough discipline to encompass both sides. Amateurs could not and would not want to undertake the volume of work currently carried out by the commercial sector. The day of the " gentlemen archaeologist" is dead any return to it would be disastrous it was a club for rich eccentrics with too much leisure time on their hands, some were the fathers of modern archaeology most were treasure hunters. That era is long past.