2nd July 2014, 06:57 PM
I've been rather amused by the posts since I last wrote on here!
If I were a sensitive soul I could have been quite offended by some of the responses. I don't have a soul, so I laughed. But I do feel some things need to be said.
1) I've been doing this for 11 months now. It took considerably more than two weeks to get promoted from trainee. And rightly so. I have yet to meet anyone who could be left alone to identify, excavate, record and interpret all the diverse archaeology we in commercial archaeology have to deal with within that time. Now, if you consider that you can train someone to that standard within that timeframe, I'd question what it is you actually want from people working in this industry. And more to the point, I would worry about the archaeology!
2) I mentioned, to some derision, that there are still occasions where the extent of features has been debatable even to experienced POs. My opinion is that where things are uncertain, the best person to make the decision, regardless of my own feeling, is the person who has the responsibility for offering the overall interpretation of the site. And that is the PO. So, through a process of dialogue, we come to a conclusion. Archaeology is both a collaborative and a subjective business. If you think you can, 100% of the time and entirely on your own, get it all right then I would call you a liar to your face. It ain't happening.
3) Should we go that extra mile? Yes. I'm with Jack on this. We don't do this just as a job - you want to do physical work for decent pay? Go work in construction. The only reason that we do this is because we give a shit. Having said that, it does not excuse poor pay and conditions. But to achieve better needs a better approach. I've previously posted my views on the subject and no-one else seems to agree. So I guess we'll have to continue destroying our bodies for next to sod all for a good while yet... Ultimately you do have a choice. This business gives you a whole host of transferable skills. Don't like what you get out of archaeology? Go do something else. It's up to you.
Happy digging!
If I were a sensitive soul I could have been quite offended by some of the responses. I don't have a soul, so I laughed. But I do feel some things need to be said.
1) I've been doing this for 11 months now. It took considerably more than two weeks to get promoted from trainee. And rightly so. I have yet to meet anyone who could be left alone to identify, excavate, record and interpret all the diverse archaeology we in commercial archaeology have to deal with within that time. Now, if you consider that you can train someone to that standard within that timeframe, I'd question what it is you actually want from people working in this industry. And more to the point, I would worry about the archaeology!
2) I mentioned, to some derision, that there are still occasions where the extent of features has been debatable even to experienced POs. My opinion is that where things are uncertain, the best person to make the decision, regardless of my own feeling, is the person who has the responsibility for offering the overall interpretation of the site. And that is the PO. So, through a process of dialogue, we come to a conclusion. Archaeology is both a collaborative and a subjective business. If you think you can, 100% of the time and entirely on your own, get it all right then I would call you a liar to your face. It ain't happening.
3) Should we go that extra mile? Yes. I'm with Jack on this. We don't do this just as a job - you want to do physical work for decent pay? Go work in construction. The only reason that we do this is because we give a shit. Having said that, it does not excuse poor pay and conditions. But to achieve better needs a better approach. I've previously posted my views on the subject and no-one else seems to agree. So I guess we'll have to continue destroying our bodies for next to sod all for a good while yet... Ultimately you do have a choice. This business gives you a whole host of transferable skills. Don't like what you get out of archaeology? Go do something else. It's up to you.
Happy digging!
I reserve the right to change my mind. It's called learning.