21st March 2011, 01:53 PM
Unfortunately the "hobbyists", or amateur archaeologists, or the public simply interested in archaeology/heritage etc, are actually encouraged to be opposed to professionals and commercial archaeology and to somewhat demonize them as "the enemy" - by the very periodical under discussion. The editor in chief may well welcome cuts and the reduction of the commercial sector in the (misguided) belief that this will allow oppurtunities for the amateur.