vulpes Wrote:as for books that cover this type of thing, there's Joe Flatman's 'Becoming an Archaeologist: A Guide to Professional Pathways'. ... Chiz Harward would be worth talking to as his training handouts on site skills look rather nifty. Wish there was an equivalent in my day. :face-approve:
Joe's book looks good, we're intending to review it in the Diggers' Forum newsletter.
Thankyou for the compliment on my handouts, they were originally intended to eventually combine into a sort of manual on excavation and post-excavation techniques, I will be continuing the series with the Diggers' Forum as I get time and can rope others into writing new handouts. Is a very useful format -good for getting the basics over to new Diggers, as the basis for a site toolbox talk, or as a reminder for more experienced Diggers who want some 'top tips'. The format also works for finds (a kind of 'Shire Book in a page') and for site skills and terminology. If anyone hasn't seen them, there are a couple of examples in my article in the latest issue of The Archaeologist, or on my old Urban Archaeology blog: http://urban-archaeology.blogspot.co.uk/ (scroll down). It is of course a similar product to the Tools of the Trade pieces which appear in the Diggers' Forum newsletter.
I prefer this modular approach myself as it can be expanded and updated as required, rather than something that gets out of date before it is complete, and is more achievable to produce as and when time is availible. I still think Roskams' Cambridge Manual on Excavation, plus the MoLAS red manual is essential and covers alot of the basics, but there are a lot of other areas where it is very hard to get comprehensive information. Its something the Diggers' Forum are trying to address, but time and manpower is always short.
I'm working on rewriting an excavation manual right now, and am trying to get away from the 'how to fill out the box on the context sheet' approach, and get formation processes and interpretation and excavation tactics into it in more detail. Its hard to produce a single document that is useful on site though, and I do think modular is the way forward.