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vulpes Wrote:Absolutely, well said Gwylym and it is for precisely that reason I believe that all archaeologists should spend 5 years working in consultancy before they are allowed near a trowel.
i wonder whether you're one of those curators who have driven me bonkers by refusing to give me an answer there and then whether i can backfill or need to discuss the results of the eval up the line; or perhaps one of those to which i have told a story on site which when i have checked the pottery dates and actually thought about the relationship of features to one another actually writes a completely different report...
something tells me you might be the latter, but then again, hindsight is a wonderful thng...
but still at least a decade or so on site means that the right questions can be asked during the monitoring visit, rather than flaffing about... for those who have the ambition and nous, at any rate to employ their site experience, whehter they go into consultancy or devcon or whatever...
but it's just the half-baked opinion of someone who's too busy digging holes to make sense of concepts that are too clever...
Your Courage Your Cheerfulness Your Resolution
Will Bring US Victory
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8th July 2011, 10:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 8th July 2011, 10:31 PM by deadlylampshade.)
Letters after your name tell the "punter" you've got a recognisable, benchmarked standard (such as it is).
Learn how to manage people as well as a trowel and things may improve for you.
Display a bt of leadership - am I allowed to use a phrase like that? - gumption, get up and go and yes, enthusiasm.
Be willing to go the extra mile without ALWAYS wingeing that you're not getting paid for it/expences/time in lieu etc.
Be proactive, consider how you'd like things done if you were the PO, be one step ahead.
And don't be defeatist.
...and it might not take you five years to get anywhere...possibly only a year...
...some may choose not to want to be an "in the field" archaeologist but I do begin to wonder at the alleged "hierarchy of needs" in archaeology when an IT/Geek gets paid more and is "valued" more than a good, experienced digger.
And while I am on my soap box - geophiz may be the current be all and end all but what's going to happen when all the satellites start to die (which I think begins in 2015) and none of the "super powers" except China have the money to put any back in the stratosphere (or where ever they sit...)?
How are you with a map and a compass as a basic digging skill ?(And I don't mean a silva compass either!). Re-section anyone?
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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look I / we have ruined Kevins thread now. Apologies Kevin. In an attempt to get things back on track, the only advice I'd offer is go to Bradford and do the course with the year 'out'. Make sure you do 2 very different placements and then decide. I was about to give up on 'archaeology' and then I realised it wasn't just about writing essays...:face-approve:
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9th July 2011, 11:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 9th July 2011, 11:10 AM by kevin wooldridge.)
Thanks Vulpes...I'd have joined in earlier but have had internet meltdown this week ('Talk Talk' you are so misnamed!!).......Catching up by reading through the mails has been interesting and I don't think has moved too far from the intention of the thread.
I remember a couple years back talking to a colleague working as a project manager who was privately worried that she didn't possess the technical or scientific skills to cope with 'modern-day' archaeological practice. She was terrified having gone to the cost of funding her own PhD studies that one day soon the 'profession' would force her back to University to be 'retrained', at additional cost and with a loss of position and status. I suggested that all she need do was make sure employed staff who covered the areas where she felt she lacked expertise (surely what every sensible business does), but this only seemed to further undermine her opinion of her own abilities, because although she was very good at her job, she was 'unqualified' in the sense that she had arrived there (in her words) 'by accident' and not through a structured career path.
So I wonder if what the archaeologist in 5 years time requires is not necessarily every skill, but the chance to work and contribute to a team that collectively is capable of doing everything that the job requires. I like the suggestion that loose co-operatives might achieve this, but suspect it would require the complete meltdown of the current 'hex-ocracy' of large units to allow this to happen (if 'hex-ocracy' is what you call governance by a group of 6)
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...
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Quote:I do begin to wonder at the alleged "hierarchy of needs" in archaeology when an IT/Geek gets paid more and is "valued" more than a good, experienced digger.
I think that's more about IT than archaeology. You can earn way more in IT than archaeology, so if you want to hire a geek, you have to pay a vaguely competetive wage (unless you can find one who wants to work in archaeology for the love of it). My IT job used to pay more than the head honcho at my local commercial arch unit gets - and I wasn't even half way up the ladder.
IT geeks are in demand in the wider world - most industries need them in one form or another these days, even if they're not directly IT-related. Employers are used to having to pay an attractive wage, in order to get the right flavour of geek. Experienced diggers work in archaeology, which is a miniscule and over-subscribed employment arena by comparison. Supply and demand, sadly.
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9th July 2011, 07:02 PM
(This post was last modified: 9th July 2011, 07:11 PM by Wax.)
Kel is right ,the job pool in archeaology is very limited and with people willing to do it for nothing or minimal wages ( I count my self amongst those) then until the industry is regulated or the demand outstrips those available for employment Iwould recomend that anyone contemplating a career in archeaology also makes sure they have another skill that is in demand outside of the profession. Make it something that enables you to take short term contracts and be able to dip in and out. This is a serious suggestion and is an effective means of surviving in archaeology. Of course there may come a point when you realise that you will have better job security and a higher standard of living persuing your other skill. Make no mistake there are far more archeaologists than there are jobs and this is unlikely to change even with the cut backs in university courses.
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Great advice, Vulpes. I so want to become a curator like you. It's a pretty easy job, isn't it? I mean, to have so much time on your hands that you can post replies to BAJR threads during working hours (3.51, 3.12, 12.31, 3.57, 12.28, 11.28, 2.04......) & all at the Council Tax payers expense! Things must be pretty slack in your neck of the woods. Perhaps some efficiency savings should be made at your council. They could make you part-time, perhaps.
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you a real doctor because I
have this boil see
Reason: your past is my past
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Yuk! You'll need to see someone in Finds Processing for that.
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"I like the suggestion that loose co-operatives might achieve this, but suspect it would require the complete meltdown of the current 'hex-ocracy'"
so do i kevin.
