27th October 2008, 06:46 PM
I don't have much of an issue with most of what has been said on this thread, in terms of identifying some of the main field skills that an archaeologist should have on site.
However, for a lot of the numbered list (wherever it has got to by now), I would be very surprised to find a new graduate actually skilled in more than a very few of these, if any. That comes with field experience, which most of them get precious little of.
What I would expect of a newby is to know that these skills exist, and hopefully to have had a try at quite a few of them, but not to go around thinking that they are actually skilled - or ought to be at that stage. All that would do is deter them from seeking help from those who actually do know what they are doing.
Quite a few of the later items added to the list are more about principles of archaeology, rather than field skills, and I would expect a good understanding of those principles.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
However, for a lot of the numbered list (wherever it has got to by now), I would be very surprised to find a new graduate actually skilled in more than a very few of these, if any. That comes with field experience, which most of them get precious little of.
What I would expect of a newby is to know that these skills exist, and hopefully to have had a try at quite a few of them, but not to go around thinking that they are actually skilled - or ought to be at that stage. All that would do is deter them from seeking help from those who actually do know what they are doing.
Quite a few of the later items added to the list are more about principles of archaeology, rather than field skills, and I would expect a good understanding of those principles.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished