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My latest field practise is to undertake as much finds processing as I can on site as I work a day rate. Mostly I now wash all the finds and wet sieve environmental samples on site. I haven?t got as far as drying things on site but the temptation is there, particularly as there is still weighing and measuring to do. I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on the limits to this practise. It seems to me that Units have to pay for find processing facilities and see finds processing as a predominantly specialist organised post excavation practise/cost rather than part of the excavation and excavators duties or rates
Reason: your past is my past
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I don't think it is that unusual to wash finds and process samples on site. In fact I work on a lot of sites where we sieve samples, float etc etc and wash finds if we have the time and facilities.
I can understand some reluctance from commercial units to undertake such works if it comes down to having to account for time and budget (it maybe that some sponsors pay for defined excavation tasks during fieldwork and require separate assessment, costing and approval before 'post-ex' work can be carried out).
Or maybe I have missed the point that Unotof1 was trying to make here.....
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...
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Quote:quote:
I can understand some reluctance from commercial units
Its that reluctance that I am trying to get at
and to my mind it?s the seeing to be doing something to get paid for ethic that I worry about,
particularly as museums do not actively seem to want my product in fact they charge me to take it
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Firstly, Being able to wash finds and process samples is ideal to do on site providing you've got the nesecary kit to do so. Obviously units running several sites don't want to duplicate much of that so its easier to do in a centralised location. Also doing this on site can be weather dependent.
Secondly time pressure on most developer led excavations mean all available man hours need to be dedicated to digging, therfore the processing of the finds gets shifted into the post-excavtion process alongside analysis of the finds.]
In an ideal world the finds processing and even some of the analysis could be done on site, and would probably help bridge gaps in interpreting the site between excavation and post-excavation, not to mention prove highly instructional to diggers who can see some of the clean, identified material in the field.
The reluctance is largely down to these logistical and budgetry factors rather than a stubborness to seperate phases of any given project.
Also alot of units leave much of the finds processing to when ther is a lull in field work, so they can keep diggers on to wash and label (but at least it keeps you out of the cold in winter)
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so you think that we should wait around on site waithing for pot to dry and charge for it
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Not quite what I meant. Rather that its not always acceptable to process finds on site because the client won't stand for being charged for us standing round while pot dries. Its more economical for the pot to dry while we're getting on with other things in a centralised finds room.
Please understand, I'm not disagreeing with you. As a pot specialist I'd love to be able to be on a site where the pot was washed, recorded by me so information could then be fed directly back to the excavators POs as the site progressed, with statistical analysis and the final report being finished when the site concluded and all the pot had been processed. Unfortunately I've only ever seen this work on training/research digs, never in a commercial environment. I've seen it tried commercially but without sustained success. Its ok on big digs with good facilities but just isn't practical on anything smaller or with limited resources (money or equipment).
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Ideally it would be very handy to have pot washed and looked at by ceramicists on site, that way if there is anything unusual turning up then the POs can devise a better strategy-if extra work is required.
Such is very hard to do once the site is finished with.
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hi guys
im just back from speaking with professor Nenad Tasic who is in charge of the Vinca culture dig site near Belgrade,Basically i wanted to do some voluntary work at the vinca site and after the professor and i spoke he invited me to work with them on this summers dig which begins on August 1st and i can help as long as i wish to do so,from what i have been told i will be involved in pot cleaning,sorting etc among other things,so i am looking forward to helping out there
Gary Cullen
Teodora Drajzera 8 Topcider
11040,Belgrade,Serbia
Tel:062 230 855
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This professor Nenad Tasic knows what hes doing.
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hi
So i am told by one of his students who took me along to speak with him and to be honest i couldnt have me a friendlier guy if i tried he was so relaxed and easy going that i had became very relaxed in his company within a minute.I will pay a great deal of attention to anything he requires me to do and hopefully i will learn a few things at the same time
Gary Cullen
Teodora Drajzera 8 Topcider
11040,Belgrade,Serbia
Tel:062 230 855
