8th November 2010, 07:41 PM
Yes, if construction picks up to 2000-6 levels and the confidence to cover staff pay comes with it. But it will not affect Job security, just availability. The digging end remains, poorly paid and itinerant. More short term contracts, less chance of promotion or longer term contracts as anominity levels with managment goes up. Mostly these things depend on large infrastructure projects - Heathrow, CTRL, A1M1 link or city development. Where there is new development there are archaeolgists, when there is none, there are none. Boom and bust economics. As an industery we cant cope in growth markets as there are not enough people and we cant cope in slumped markets because there are too many. So can we resesion proof archaeology but importantly also boom proof it by maintianing consistent stands and staffing levels? Given many diggers don't stay long and many live in a fantisy world, where they get to do mesolithich archaeology all day, should contractors be investing in everyone who ever picked up a trowl for them?
Its competative out there always has been and with the emphsis on the archaeolgist not the company, individuals have to prove they are worth keeping/emplying. To many diggers, assistent supervisors, supervisors and even PO's spend to much time pretending they know what there talking about because their are too scared to ask, and the higher you get the more scared people are to admit it. Stupid really, if we knew everthing there would be no reason to look for stuff.
Its competative out there always has been and with the emphsis on the archaeolgist not the company, individuals have to prove they are worth keeping/emplying. To many diggers, assistent supervisors, supervisors and even PO's spend to much time pretending they know what there talking about because their are too scared to ask, and the higher you get the more scared people are to admit it. Stupid really, if we knew everthing there would be no reason to look for stuff.