Q: how many archaeologists does it take to ruin an industry?

[BAJR]

Ah you took the words out my mouth... This thread is being diverted.

(New ways of operating the forum are coming in... more open... more useful... and any thread diversion will be politely brought back on track after a gentle warning - moved OR deleted.)

This thread asked how many archaeologists does it take to ruin an industry... the answer seems to be one... (unit of!)

[deadlylampshade]

Hmm...

Commercial Archaeology. (I am assuming to have an industry there must be someone to work in it and run the "business").

I will probably get my head bitten off for this but I have yet to come across many properly commercial brains in the archaeological companies/units I have come across of late. Simply put Archaeology is not, for the most part, run as a business.

And for this reason, perhaps, there are not many commercially aware brains employed in those agencies supposed to represent "professional archaeologists" and therefore far too many academics who rarely have to survive in a cut throat business world.

Perhaps the question should be "who let the luncatics run the asylum"?

I have seen little leadership and seriously, seriously poor personnel management. And sadly the younger members of staff take their lead from the only roll models they have...which tend to be of the "it was like that when I were a lad so get on with it" school of management practice.

If archaeology wants to be taken seriously as an industry and therefore a business it needs to sharpen up.

My own opinion - which again will be unpopular - is that "commercial archaeology" has cut it's own throat due to a lack of regulation. Undercutting quotes to get the job is just snatching the bread from our colleagues' mouths and has little to do with the archaeology. Indeed, it is the archaeology which suffers in the long run with finds and samples rotting in bags and reports unwritten with no funding left for processing or publication.

I am retiring to the bar now for a stifner and await an onslaught...

[P Prentice]

it could be that there is now too many business minded archaeologists being pushy with their thatcherite 'whats wrong with honest competition' refrain and not enough archaeologists looking at the long term and the need to present a united front

[P Prentice]

though i should add that there were never many good old days -

[Sith]

I ]If archaeology wants to be taken seriously as an industry and therefore a business it needs to sharpen up.

I agree, although some companies are 'sharper' than others when it comes to management paractice. An example of how thing could be done better comes from the Radioactive Fallout and Fieldwork thread. If the archaeological contractor concerned had instantly put in an early warning of a claim for delay leading to unproductive time when the farmer dumped junk all over their site, the principal contractor would have had the whole thing sorted out in double-quick time.

[Dinosaur]

though i should add that there were never many good old days -

I seem to remember quite a few actually, but then my optician keeps sending me reminders that my rose-tinted spectacles are overdue for expensive replacement....:face-crying:

I think the proof of who has business-minded management will be borne-out by who's still standing and has a healthy business after all the current crises? :face-stir:

[Jack]

................. An example of how thing could be done better comes from the Radioactive Fallout and Fieldwork thread. If the archaeological contractor concerned had instantly put in an early warning of a claim for delay leading to unproductive time when the farmer dumped junk all over their site, the principal contractor would have had the whole thing sorted out in double-quick time.

It was. There was no delay for us, the point was to highlight the attitude of the farmers.

An interesting comment based on the limited information.
You seem to have the wrong end of the wrong stick.

[P Prentice]

I seem to remember quite a few actually, but then my optician keeps sending me reminders that my rose-tinted spectacles are overdue for expensive replacement....:face-crying:

in this instance i was referring to the fact that archaeology was no better served in the past - just look at the staggering amount of unpublished excavations from those halcyon pre PPG days, not to mention the pathetic pay

I think the proof of who has business-minded management will be borne-out by who's still standing and has a healthy business after all the current crises? :face-stir:

i dont see how any surviving business will be a credit to the surviving archaeology when any surviving business will perforce have compromised the archaeology it has done business with

[deadlylampshade]

i dont see how any surviving business will be a credit to the surviving archaeology when any surviving business will perforce have compromised the archaeology it has done business with

Hear, hear - my point exactly.

There is a distinct difference between being sharper/better at business than condoning sharp practive. That is why we are where we are ...fast buck, bit of kudos in a report, sod the archaeology (and, dare I add, the grass root diggers!)

I am trying to think of another "industry" when the majority of the productive workforce are considered a "disposible asset" and dismissed as soon as the money gets tight...in the knowledge that someone, somewhere will accept low wages and a short term contract (always hoping for a permanenet contract) and do the job for them.

Still pondering that one...

[Boxoffrogs]

Deadlylampshade "I am trying to think of another "industry" when the majority of the productive workforce are considered a "disposible asset" and dismissed as soon as the money gets tight..."

Try any major consultancy in the UK!