carrots for archaeologists

[Doug]

So buried in the other thread was my critique of IfA chartered status is how I think the approach is too much stick e.g. join us or else, and not enough carrot e.g. you want to join us cause you get x, y, and z. out of it.

As i think this is a different enough subject I have started another thread-

What would you like to see from an archaeology organization you join? / What benefits would encourage you to join an archaeology organization?

Preferably carrots and detail e.g. a way to communicate like bajr federation forum but with facebook and twitter log-in so I don't have to remember another password, online courses - specifically how to's for ArcGIS, etc. etc.

This thread is not meant to be a complaint thread about current organizations just an idea building thread about how organizations can improve.

[Unitof1]

I would like to see the status of archaeologist more precisly defined as field archaeologist and be someting that is obtained for someone to undertake digging. I would like to see that the field archaeologists establish copyright over all the records that they produce from observations made within context within the field, to be licenced by them to the public and other archaeologists at their discresion.

And have a degree in archaeology

[BAJR]

And I should work on the facebook login

[Wax]

I want an organisation that has teeth applies its rules and supports the lowest member as well as the highest. Also provides proper training that leads to recognisied qualifications in things such as field practice. An organisation that earns respect from those it wants to encourage as members. Also gets discounts on things such as insurance perhaps even a members discount on things like petrol and diesel accommodation costs etc. (perhaps too much to ask for)

[Unitof1]

whats all this lowest member/highest member they should all be equal. Although I can apprieciate that there might be associate memberships. Do you expect there to be three different types of chartered accountants, engineers? I would like to be a memeber of something or other field archaeologoists. I dont want anything to do with curators, illustrators, museum guides, charity managers, public service workers. I am pretty sure they dont want anything to do with me.

[Wax]

I think you will find there are many different types of engineers, accountants and surveyors within their respective charted organisations. But Unit has a point what many of us want is an organisation that specifically covers field archaeologists or has divisions within it aimed at the field specialist providing a qualification or perhaps licence to practice?

[P Prentice]

what many of us want is an organisation that specifically covers field archaeologists or has divisions within it aimed at the field specialist providing a qualification or perhaps licence to practice?

i agree and i will try to achieve this through ifa

[Dinosaur]

Good luck, no one before you has had any success....

[Carrickavoy]

I consider myself an archaeologist. But realistically I can't get much field experience at the moment because there isn't any work in it where I am and also temporary contracts just don't cut the mustard any more. I'm actually greatly sadden to read the sentiment that people want to start making divisions within what is already a small profession. So we have an institute for field archaeologists and then another institute for the 'other' archaeologists??

I know institutes by their every nature are exclusive organisations but could we not at least try to include those who would define themselves as professional archaeologists whether they wield a mattock or not? What about those of us who survey? Or if you tend to do more desktop stuff but you still go out and walk the landscape?

I do agree that the specialism of field archaeology does desire to be recognised but lets just keep it within the one happy bickering family...

[Unitof1]

What about those of us who survey? Or if you tend to do more desktop stuff
but you still go out and walk the landscape

but these are field based topics and skills about which reference to professional standards does have relevance particularly including for porposes of tendering for fieldwork which should be cultured within professional field archaeology work. Where does being a curator or director of a unit within an RAO directly have reliance on these standards of definition for the porpose of defining a field archaeological professional? They dont. Those persons would be best advised to have a mba or belong to some civil service fast track how to double speak a regulation or five different local governemt planning policy review white paper ammedamnet consultation oopps there another general election to wait for.

You might consider yourself an archaeologist and this is about getting work and not letting the buggers get away with saying they are doing archaeology when they are not.

prentise- just concentrate on achieving the pension