3rd September 2012, 02:21 PM
I too would like to distance myself from any suggestion that a university education is a bad thing......university educated polymaths are amongst my closest friends!! I personally am in favour of highly educated folk becoming involved with archaeology....I despair a little however with the notion these days that its only universities that turn out highly educated folk. I agree with Dinosaurs synopsis that once upon a time the education you needed to become an archaeologist could be gained from many different areas and backgrounds......unfortunately these days (especially with the cuts to adult education and extra-mural courses), archaeology is becoming a more difficult subject to access. What would David Petts make of the idea that some aspects of field learning could be provided within the academic millieu, but outside the conventional archaeology curriculum. Birkbeck college of UL used to (may still) provide extra-mural field experience that was accessible to anyone interested, at weekends and evenings running parallel to the main UCL academic year....
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...