8th February 2012, 04:52 PM
List so far-
From Jim-
- Pay- Yes, everyone also said pay was bad but no one has ever quantified it. Well a few reports did but they were hidden away and none dealt with the regional difference in pay (this is for North America).
- Gear- People say get a trowel but not all trowels are created the same. I prefer a Marshalltown for sandy soils but a WHS/pick-ax for clay and other harder soils. Also, the little things like line levels, pencils that work, pens that work, markers, compass, a clipboard that works, etc.
- Cloths- I know lots of people who buy snake guards once and then realise that places that have poisonous snakes are also very hot. You quickly realise that that extra layer of thick cloth is not great in 100 degree heat (40 C). I have seen someone heat stroke out because of them.
- Basic ability to identify lithics, ceramics, hearths, etc. – Not just identify while standing still or in a lab after someone have told you its an artefact and handed it to you. No, while you are on the move, huffing it over steep and tough terrain in 100 degree heat. At a fairly decent pace, the type demanded of pedestrian survey ( I realise not every were in the world does this sort of survey) you can pace over the edge of a site in a matter of sec. and can easily miss a site if you have no idea what you are looking for. Picking out an arrowhead is easy for anyone but picking out a flake 1cm long in bad light is a skill. I remember when I first did survey I had no clue what I was looking for and afraid to stop everyone every tens sec. to say, “is this something?”. Yes, I picked up the skill eventually but man it would have been nice early on.
- Laws- many times you are out doing archaeology with only at vague idea of why. It would be great if I known the laws before hand (US, UK) instead of picking them up as I went.
From Jim-
- Insects, surprisingly, insects are a concern and we have seen freshly minted archaeologists quit because they could not put up with those annoying biting pests (it’s not that anyone really likes them). If you want to be an archaeologist, spend some time outside before you commit to a degree.
- Diet, if you have allergies or other dietary conditions – when working in small towns and remote locations it can be a real bear trying to find something that you can actually eat. The usual response is that people then don’t eat. Unfortunately, if you are working outside all day, eating is important. So think about how to manage your needs before you go into the field (don’t expect your crew supervisor to have thought it through for you).