[URL="http://www.justgiving.com/newYACdolls"]
http://www.justgiving.com/newYACdolls[/URL]

'The Young Archaeologists' Club (YAC) has 65 branches nationwide which provide hands-on archaeological activities and days-out for young people aged 8 - 16 years old. Each branch is run by a team of dedicated volunteers and there are nearly 600 YAC volunteers in total!'

It is very easy to be critical and negative in these times of austerity. The YAC is less a bunch of clubs and more a movement composed of those who have a kind heart and a vision for the future. If you do not volunteer, show your support by giving a donation. Commercial sponsorship would be nice too ;o)

[SIZE=2]Falkirk YAC with a camera on a pole (October 2009)
http://www.armadale.org.uk/falkirkyac.htm (Others)[/SIZE]

Intertidal ecosystems have primarily been studied using field-based sampling; remote sensing offers the ability to collect data over large areas in a snapshot of time that could complement field-based sampling methods by extrapolating them into the wider spatial and temporal context.

Conventional remote sensing tools (such as satellite and aircraft imaging) provide data at limited spatial and temporal resolutions and relatively high costs for small-scale environmental science and ecologically-focussed studies. In this paper, we describe a low-cost, kite-based imaging system and photogrammetric/mapping procedure that was developed for constructing high-resolution, three-dimensional, multi-spectral terrain models of intertidal rocky shores. The processing procedure uses automatic image feature detection and matching, structure-from-motion and photo-textured terrain surface reconstruction algorithms that require minimal human input and only a small number of ground control points and allow the use of cheap, consumer-grade digital cameras. The resulting maps combine imagery at visible and near-infrared wavelengths and topographic information at sub-centimeter resolutions over an intertidal shoreline 200 m long, thus enabling spatial properties of the intertidal environment to be determined across a hierarchy of spatial scales.

Results of the system are presented for an intertidal rocky shore at Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Potential uses of this technique include mapping of plant (micro- and macro-algae) and animal (e.g. gastropods) assemblages at multiple spatial and temporal scales.


Citation: Bryson M, Johnson-Roberson M, Murphy RJ, Bongiorno D (2013) Kite Aerial Photography for Low-Cost, Ultra-high Spatial Resolution Multi-Spectral Mapping of Intertidal Landscapes. PLoS ONE 8(9): e73550. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073550

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Ado...ne.0073550

So we return to another big question, which we should all agree on... but suspect we won't. why oh why do we fool ourselves about mitigation to preserve in-situ. often beneath a large building/buildings or in a drying peat bog or in a field that is ploughed every year. sheduled monuments protect against (insert what here) but in terms of protecting against ploughing/erosion or criminals with detectors, they are hopeless.

rather than trying desparately to convince ourselves we are protecting for a time in the future... should we not treat this withering resource -- as an opportunity to carry out archaeology?

:face-huh::face-thinks:

OK all you clever people, here's an odd one for you: what would I need to read to learn about profiles of ditches, the processes that can shape a ditch after it has been dug, and if there are classic shapes attributed to particular historic periods?

[h=5]this was an important and long waited article from stuart rathbone;

I hope you will forgive me for reposting this link, however I have a special request. After the article went up a very well respected archaeologist from Northern Ireland wrote a very moving account of her own problems with job based stress. It was not the sort of response I had been expecting and I was quite blown away by it. Having spoken to her and gained her permission I will be including her comment in an appendix in a print version of this article that should be coming out next year. What I want to ask is that if any of you who have read it and relate to any of the issues raised would like to add an account of how you were affected then I would also include them in this appendix. It doesn't matter where you are from, let's make this a global thing. But if you can just explain quickly who you are and where you worked that would be very useful. If anybody did wish to add some testimony that would be fantastic and you can either enter it into the comments below the blog post or, should you wish to remain anonymous, just send it to me as a facebook message ( https://www.facebook.com/stuart.rathbone...ion=stream ) and I will include it with the necessary discussion.
Apologies again for the double post.

http://rmchapple.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/...rowel.html[/h]

Hi all,

How many of us here are also IfA members? I know there a few at least...and hope they will be exercising their democratic right to vote in the Council elections!

With that in mind, it may be worth thinking about voting for digger-friendly candidates. The Diggers' Forum have two of our Committee members standing this year so you know what you have to do. Vote for Mary Neale (our Chair) and Sophie Jennings (our Treasurer) and they will help us keep the concerns of the great unwashed at the forefront of IfA Council business.

Sorry David for the blatant electioneering, but as you know we need to keep the numbers on Council now more than ever.

Thanks

Sadie

Prospect Archaeologists Branch and Diggers’ Forum Joint Day Conference
Saturday 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] November 2013
Archaeology Pay & Training: Can The Industry Do More?
This one-day conference builds on the success of the joint Prospect Archaeologists Branch and IfA Diggers’ Forum event last year. This time we want to explore the related issues of pay and training within professional archaeology.
A range of speakers, including contributors from Prospect and the Diggers’ Forum, will present papers and host discussions on how best to improve pay and training within the industry. The goal of the conference is to establish a set of key aims for industry groups on how to improve pay and training over the next year.
These are testing times – pay cuts, longer hours, job insecurity, poor career progression and lack of training. This day conference is your opportunity to have your say about how we can put things right.
The conference will be held at:
Mortimer Wheeler House
46 Eagle Wharf Road, London N1 7ED
Saturday 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] November 2013
The conference is free to attend, but you will need to book a ticket in advanced to secure attendance. Please contact Chris Clarke at chrisclarke600@hotmail.co.uk to book your place. In your e-mail please note if you are a Prospect or Diggers’ Forum member.
Financial assistance towards the cost of travel for Prospect and Diggers’ Forum members attending the conference is available. For those interested in taking up this offer please request further details when you e-mail.
Further conference information and programme details can be found at
https://www.prospect.org.uk/members_area.../public/p4.[TABLE]
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Quote:When a prehistoric burial was accidentally discovered in September 2011 during the construction of a septic tank at Spinningdale in Sutherland, GUARD Archaeology were called out to investigate and made an extraordinary find.

Through Historic Scotland’s Human Remain Call-Off Contract, the GUARD Archaeology team, led by Iraia Arabaolaza, were commissioned to excavate a stone cist, built within a substantial pit, containing the remains of a crouched inhumation of a middle-aged adult female (35-50 years) with signs of spinal joint disease.

http://web.archive.org/web/2013012921382...Assad.html

(paste that link)

"Leaked emails have allegedly proved that the White House gave the green light to a chemical weapons attack in Syria that could be blamed on Assad's regime and in turn, spur international military action in the devastated country."


hmmm...

All lies (again):


"


August 2013 | stopwar.org.uk

EMERGENCY PROTEST: No Attack On Syria

Protest tomorrow 5pm, Wednesday 28 August, Downing Street, London

• Please share the event with your Facebook contacts
  

The West Lothian Archaeological Trust's Secretary and Archaeologist, Jim Knowles, has set up a new forum for the Scottish National Aerial Photography Scheme:
http://snaps.boards.net/
Proposed threads are:
New member introductions
Software
General
Site interest
KAP kit
Kite help
Camera help