28th November 2008, 01:48 PM
I see this problem but am confused as to why it it still seems to be a major problem with graduates moving into sprecifically field archaeology. I recieved next to no field training at uni but what i did get was a good educational qualification based in theory with skills that could have been well transported away from archaeology towards other graduate jobs. I can no see why universities are unable to provide better training to people so they can move into field archaeology with the skills needed. What they need to do is be stricter with the minimum requirement of fieldwork the student has to undertake in the 3 years at uni, but also they need to provide the facilities to allow this and also provide an environment that mirrors the style of development controlled archaeology. Send them out on fieldwalking whrere they might not find anythink, get them digging test pits at their halls of residence, get them to shaddow real archaeologists in their day to day jobs (from WB's to Excavation) esp. if the university has an in-house unit. I certainly am not a big fan of students 'volenteering' on commercial digs but noone could argue people coming and observing what we do out there. I just feel the university courses are not at all orientated to provide anywhere neat a fully fledged archaeologist at present