Bone collector - Guardian Article

[Guest]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/aug...ist-career

Where some people see only a field, archaeologist Deirdre Gleeson sees a potential historical treasure trove. As Leo Benedictus discovers, there are clues all around us.

so says the Guardian on the 1 August 2009
As Old girls says in the old Forum

Well, I liked the joke anyway...... I'm slightly concerned by the reporting of 'legislation' for archaeology though. Hopefully that's the reporter getting it mixed up. Also slightly concerned about the '5 years in the field = ?15K, 5 years in Consultancy= ?25k'. Two issues with this:

1. AIfA Level responsibilities (in any part of the profession) should have a minimum of ?17,534 with an RaO.

2. I would hope that the consultancy experience would be in addition to the fieldwork experience. I consider that it is rather hard to do a decent job of assessment or of monitoring fieldwork if you haven't done a reasonable amount of work in the field.

But then I would say that, wouldn't I....

[stinker pinker]

not a bad joke, there are better though... why did all the ceramicists pots break? he lost his temper 8D

[mesolithic viking]

Consultant with only 5 years experience? Hate to say it but this could be another case of reverse sexism in archaeology, time and time again I've seen "bright young things" with two things going for them promoted way beyond their experience and capabilities. Not being female is right up there with not being middle class in the worst mistakes to make in archaeology.

[Windbag]

I agree about the class issue in archaeology, but have to pull Mesvik up on reverse sexism.

As a male archaeologist I can honestly say I've never experienced sexism in a work context. It's hypothetically possible I've been a victim of it but haven't realised. I certainly have come across plenty of male chauvinism though (e.g. on arriving at a site for the first time: "I'm glad you're a man otherwise we wouldn't finish this site until Christmas"), but have been promoted and recruited by senior female archaeologists. When I look at the number of heads of units I see domination by men rather than women, and I've worked with plenty of men that found it very difficult to work with a female boss.

I'm also dismayed that mesvik's comment sat there without response for 3 days. What's wrong with everyone?:face-huh:

[RedEarth]

I'm also dismayed that mesvik's comment sat there without response for 3 days. What's wrong with everyone?

I was surprised too - I was going to say something but thought 'someone else is bound to and I haven't got time at the moment'.

I think the article highlights several things, but not that reverse sexism is prevelent in archaeology. For one thing it suggests that in other sectors 5 years is considered quite a lot of experience - how many people end up working in archaeology for ten years without being able to progress beyond supervisor? It also shows the sort of salary one can perhaps expect with that amount of experience in other areas of employment - thus highlighting how low archaeologists salaries are.

In terms of sexism, how many women in archaeology find themselves being directed, intentionally or otherwise, into finds, post-ex, admin type jobs compared to men?

As for being middle class, I think I've maybe come across 2 people in archaeology who might possibily have considered themselves to be anything other than middle class (depending on how you define it, and I haven't worked with that many people in the grand scheme of things) and I doubt that it is much of an issue. As far as I'm concerned archaeology is a middle class profession - the fact that it doesn't pay well and you get muddy for a living doesn't make it working class.

[Steven]

Hi
I think we are all treating the comments with the disdain they deserve. After all there isn't much point in trying to argue with an obviously unreconstructed australopithecus is there?

Thinking about it, that comparison with mesvic is a slur on the character of our African hominid ancestors.

[mesolithic viking]

Have you also noticed that in archaeology nobody complains about anything for ages, and tries to wait for someone else to say it first? I can list examples in defence of my statement but obviously that would be against the AUP. I love the way Steven assumes I'm male and starts most of his posts in the forum with "Hi chaps". I dug with a county council unit who took on a lot of unemployed young people on training schemes from the jobcentre, time and time again the young women would be seconded into the office whether they wanted to or not. This was because they were all really good at drawing apparently, and nothing to do with the PO in charge of the office, a bachelor who looked like the lovechild of Quasimodo and Billy Bunter. At the end of the training scheme the token number of people kept on would invariably be the younger females while virtually everyone else, who had done the greater volume of work, went back to the jobcentre.

[BAJR Host]

And here I have to step up to the mark and say... bllks!

I have not seen reverse sexism.. I have seen sexism.. and misogyny - but a person has to be good. There are many cases of perceptions of this tokenism... ie you must be called sara and come from devon where your daddy has a house when they are not in london. when you look at teh overall picture... it is so far from the truth. It can be easier to find scapegoats to reality.

so once more with feeling bllks }

[mesolithic viking]

There are many cases

There you are then, there are many cases when people feel they are the victims of nepotism, tokenism, and losing the wet T-shirt competition that is recruitment policy in British archaeology. What is reality then?

[Emjem]

You can have ten years experience and be a numpty, you can have five and really know your onions, don't knock the lass for doing good - do you know her, talked to her about her credentials????