How should British Archaeology be run

[kevin wooldridge]

TMSArch - sorry I was just trying to be inclusive before someone wrote in suggesting I was trying to get curators sacked!! I totally agree that a lot of commercial archaeologists would have more interesting and intellectually rewarding lives if they were to be working for the equivalent of the old LA units - so roll on the day!!

Dinosaur - I don't blame either curators or commercial archaeologists. They are both working within a pretty bizarre system....I was merely commenting that the previous system wasn't broke, despite the claims that it needed to be fixed!! I attended the IFA general meeting back in the late 80s where 'laissez faire' archaeological practice was approved by the 'self regulating' archaeology industry. I can still see the smug looks on the smug faces of those unit managers who in a couple of hours destroyed most of the local units in the UK for the sake of their own expansionist fiefdoms. I was one of the few opponents at that meeting. I described them as a bunch of travel agents masquerading as loss adjusters (I hope that made it into the minutes of the meeting!!)....I don't think subsequent events have proven me wrong...