11th February 2009, 11:56 PM
I don't have the energy for such all pervading cynicism and oblique hints. (concision is a virtue YP)
Kenny's Telegraph article and Mathew Law's survey raise an interesting point between them, namely when does an archaeologist cease to be one? Does this happen when the IfA sub stops, when the "resting digger" takes up another job, or when they officially become long-term unemployed?
Before this most recent big boom it was quite normal to take other jobs between circuit digging, sometimes even to fund going back on the circuit and I don't think anyone on an "in between" job didn't think of themselves as an archaeologist. It would be interesting to look at a few case studies following individual archaeologists' coping strategies to see who returns and what new perspectives they will bring with them.
This looks likely to be a lean year for me but I am still an archaeologist and will remain one until somebody prises the trowel out of my stiff cold hands no matter what else I may fall back on.
Kenny's Telegraph article and Mathew Law's survey raise an interesting point between them, namely when does an archaeologist cease to be one? Does this happen when the IfA sub stops, when the "resting digger" takes up another job, or when they officially become long-term unemployed?
Before this most recent big boom it was quite normal to take other jobs between circuit digging, sometimes even to fund going back on the circuit and I don't think anyone on an "in between" job didn't think of themselves as an archaeologist. It would be interesting to look at a few case studies following individual archaeologists' coping strategies to see who returns and what new perspectives they will bring with them.
This looks likely to be a lean year for me but I am still an archaeologist and will remain one until somebody prises the trowel out of my stiff cold hands no matter what else I may fall back on.