24th June 2013, 02:20 PM
BAJR Wrote:Too true... there is the strange i,pression that we are all still gentlemen/ladies of liesure who pop out and have a look for wizard wheeze. OR worse... - there to get in teh way and hold up vital work while costing the client a pile of cash.
Thing number one to sort out.
Thing number 2 putting cost above archaeology
thing number 3 incompetent archaeologists.
Thing number 4.. feeling superior
thing number 5 ... thinkiing people who get dirty are somehow at teh bottom of teh ladder.
thing number 6 promoting archaeology in the different groups. ie contract, academic, public. they should NOT be seen as the same. otherwise public archaeology makes it seem that we can all do it. and it should be free. contract archaeology makes it look as if it is stern faced stressed timescales with a feck it out attitude. and academics are airy dreamers who take 20 years to work out that evidence of ursus ursus in teh later meolithic i that defectation within a woodland enviroment is a serious possibility..
in short. I like the idea. I like the potential BUT it is like setting to sea in a huge luxury cruiseliner and forgetting that the hull is holed in several places. a) the compelling argument is laclustre and the current system is ( unless you are somhow in denial ) so flawed and mistrusted that it needs a root and branch change. has done for yeas. Don't get me started on Fieldworker apathy though... as the whole is a bit crap. Anywa... keep it lightand goodd discussion
I my opinion what is probably required is an organisation like the IfA but for commercial archaeologists only. The IfA as it stands cannot really hope to represent all of the various strands of archaeologists at once. The comment from the electrician chap was quite interesting - why not an institute for academics, one for commercial archaeologists, perhaps a student organisation for those just starting out and yet to find their way. What about an Association representing, oh I don't know, Archaeological Surveyors and Illustrators (it could be called AASI) rather than just a single blanket group trying and failing to represent everyone. I think they want a charter so they can use the lovely vellum certificate to paper over the cracks, because in its present form the IfA is not really fit for purpose (although I remain a member because there isn't a lot of alternative).