31st October 2005, 01:19 PM
Gumbo,
I've got to take issue with your comment that the MSC was a 'good thing'.
I worked on two MSC projects in the mid-1980s. Both were terrible. As a very inexperienced site supervisor, I was in sole charge on-site, with over 20 workers, none of whom had any archaeological experience, knowledge or interest. Their motivation for being there could best be described as 'conscription'. To make it worse, at times we were split between up to 3 locations, still with me as the only archaeologist in charge on site.
The archaeology itself was largely rubbish - the only reason for digging it was to keep the scheme going until something worthwhile came along.
The MSC explicitly refused to fund post-ex work, so what happened was that the experienced staff employed to be in charge on site (over me) actually spent their time indoors doing post-ex on the sly, hoping the MSC administrators wouldn't notice.
I know that some good archaeologists came out of the MSC programme, but I believe they were the exception rather than the rule, and I would be horrified if a programme of that sort were to return.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
I've got to take issue with your comment that the MSC was a 'good thing'.
I worked on two MSC projects in the mid-1980s. Both were terrible. As a very inexperienced site supervisor, I was in sole charge on-site, with over 20 workers, none of whom had any archaeological experience, knowledge or interest. Their motivation for being there could best be described as 'conscription'. To make it worse, at times we were split between up to 3 locations, still with me as the only archaeologist in charge on site.
The archaeology itself was largely rubbish - the only reason for digging it was to keep the scheme going until something worthwhile came along.
The MSC explicitly refused to fund post-ex work, so what happened was that the experienced staff employed to be in charge on site (over me) actually spent their time indoors doing post-ex on the sly, hoping the MSC administrators wouldn't notice.
I know that some good archaeologists came out of the MSC programme, but I believe they were the exception rather than the rule, and I would be horrified if a programme of that sort were to return.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished