22nd July 2013, 10:52 PM
I do indeed remember that archaeological deposits are constantly under threat, and we only see a tiny fraction. After all, the very features we study are the result of"Development" in the past. And I know sometimes that means we "smash and grab" to rescue something rather than nothing. But that doesn't mean we should make a virtue of it. After all, the history of our chosen path is littered with "big names" that are derided for trashing important sites so they could wall-chase and find shiny things! I just don't want to be added to that Hall of Shame.
I reckon that I'm only here for a fixed term, and for my work to be of any value it needs to be recorded in such a way that those who come after can still make sense of it. If not, I'm taking that knowledge to the grave with me, which is unforgivable. So even though I have to pay the museum to take my archives, I take pride in making them useful records of the sites I trashed. No point working down to the lowest value just cause it doesn't offer a paycheck! (Any fool could do that. I'm not willing to be one of them...)
If I feel it is getting all too much, this "creating decent records" lark, then there are plenty of other careers I can choose that have no such moral burdens! Remember, we can never grab it all before it goes. So there's no point breaking our necks and selling out our principles to try. Better to do a decent job on one site than crappy jobs on loads of sites, despite the harsh economics that drive us to ever-increasing bids with ever-decreasing day rates.
I reckon that I'm only here for a fixed term, and for my work to be of any value it needs to be recorded in such a way that those who come after can still make sense of it. If not, I'm taking that knowledge to the grave with me, which is unforgivable. So even though I have to pay the museum to take my archives, I take pride in making them useful records of the sites I trashed. No point working down to the lowest value just cause it doesn't offer a paycheck! (Any fool could do that. I'm not willing to be one of them...)
If I feel it is getting all too much, this "creating decent records" lark, then there are plenty of other careers I can choose that have no such moral burdens! Remember, we can never grab it all before it goes. So there's no point breaking our necks and selling out our principles to try. Better to do a decent job on one site than crappy jobs on loads of sites, despite the harsh economics that drive us to ever-increasing bids with ever-decreasing day rates.