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I am not convinced that I understand how "volunteers" fit into a professional and commercial activity. Commercial archaeology is indeed no longer the preserve of the upper or middle classes, (and site directors rarely ride horses on site any more) but as such it is, as it says on the tin, a commercial profit-making service industry as part of the development process - not a hobby.
I woud much rather see contractors able and willing to employ "trainee" archaeologists, generally new graduates I presume, to learn to excvavate in a commercial context while being paid a reasonable "trainee" rate. This of course not only costs his/her salary etc. but also the time of more senior employees mentoring them. Surely this would be better in the long term for the profession/industry than expending those resources on training, insuring and mentoring volunteers? However, neither scenario is likely to be common practice in the foreseeable future.
There aren't many other professions or industries where volunteers are common (i.e. people are happy to work for nothong, or even pay for the privelige) and I therefore do not see a role for for volunteers in commercial development-led archaeology.
We owe the dead nothing but the truth.
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I am in complete agreement with the invisable man i have been working in commercial archaeology for 4 years and it was no picnic getting that first job as i only had experience on uni digs- and those were only financed by saving my entire years holiday up for the job i had during uni.
The expectation that i should have voulantary experience made things really difficult and was i feel unfair. Those of us with crippling student debt and no parents or partners in a position to support us shouldnt be at a disadvantage and this is something that is often forgotten.
Volunteers in certain situations take jobs away from archaeologists.
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Sorry Trowelfodder, I disagree with you, if it wasn't for the chances I got for volenteering I would never had any experiece what so ever, not sure what sort of Archaeological degree you did but mine did not prepare me in the relevant skills needed so as a volenteer I was able to learn many skills that I now use.
How many volenteers do you know have taken jobs away from archaeologists?
I do know there is a shortage of archaeologists, especially of the experieced kind and some of the volenteers I have met are better skilled than some archaeologists I have met.
Orkynowot.
May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.
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But do you not think that it is the responcability of your employer to provide you with the training you got whilst volunteering. I am not questioning the fact that it is of great help to those starting off but why should you work for free when you have spent three yrs getting qualified.
And i believe the exct opposite of alfie - volunteering is making archaeology more likely to be the preserve of the middle classes as those of us from lower income backgrounds simply cannot afford to work without wages.
By volunteering you allow units to avoid creating a coherent training scheme.Trainee grade entry into the proffession is what is needed to allow proffesional development. Voluntry work has a place but not within commercial archeaology.
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This is possibly wandering off topic very slightly, but ARE there any commercial archaeology units that use volunteers when they should be using paid site staff? (Not asking for naming and shaming,obviously)[?]
I would of thought it would be practically impossible on most developer funded sites now, because of the insurance issue's
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Trowelfodder I agree, units that employ us should train us, and training shoul be continous throughout employment, I have only been working as a paid archaeologist since early March, the first unit i worked for the training was more or less non-existent, don't get me wrong I do ask questions when needed, but when I asked for help it was not always forthcoming.
My current employers are extremely good in their training and help from plentiful site manuals to a supervisor who doesnt turn invisble when needed.
But with the question of on the job training do companies see it as worthwhile and/or viable to train temporary staff, such as myself, is it financially viable for them to spend money on someone if they are only gonna work for 2-3 months.
But I do understand the concerns on volenteers on comercial sites, volenteers on sites such as Mellor are an important part of archaeology though, I know, I worked at Mellor for 2 whole summers, that site would never have been investigated if it wasnt for the Mellor archaeology trust run by volenteers.
May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.
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In responce to the question of volunteers in commercial units in my experience a number of units tho obviously no names do use volunteers both on site and in the curitorial departments.
These are jobs people should be paid to do
It is in the interest of units to train even short term staff as they move from one unit to another. I have been put on sites with people who suposidly have months of experience but look at you blankly when asked to take levels or produce site plans. Experence should not be measured in time as its missleading. If all units trained staff then collectively the industry will benifit.
Have to admit i think that where sites are run say by county council units, museums universities etc when done properly these are a great oportunity for public involvment.
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How do people feel about volunteers doing post-ex work for commercial projects, pot washing, wet sieving etc? I've seen adverts for volunteers for this a few times can't help thinking its a bit dodgy.
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Hello New lad at the forum
I do think that volunteers have a role to play in archaeology. As they can afford to have time to make a detail investigation on a subject than most of us. About volunteering digs can't see nothing wrong so long as it ran correctly and with a pro archaeologists. However on commercial site volunteers should not get involved in excavations as they can make easy mistakes and balls up if you understand, but help in washing finds and hands on things like this can be much more beneficial to the volunteer. I do in someway agree but in others I don't :face-huh:.
Volunteers may think of archaeology as Time Team with a great life but that is TV for you.
If in doubt its ritual
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Dr Peter here,
This is a bit of a rant late on a saturday night/early sunday morning as I validate a bit of software (I am trying to find out what the maximum of files it can handle).
Do we have volunteer accountants, lawyers or doctors?
Do we have volunter gardeners, brickies or plumbers?
No we dont.
Yes people need work experience Yes people need training Yes amateurs have a contribution. But .....
Lets get real. The notion of volunters harks back to the exploitative seventies and eighties.
Peter
(The programe accepts 35000 files)
