18th April 2011, 05:02 PM
Having started my career back in the mists of time as a volunteer on a scheme supervised by the local authority Unit I'm all for public participation but agree with Wax that this should not be at the expense of 'professional' archaeology.
In these financially straigtened times (and ignoring Mr Pickles' Big Society) I don't see Architects, Planners, Ecologists or indeed anyone else suggesting that the answer is to up the numbers of volunteers doing their jobs. If this is Archaeology's best shot then we're all doomed because no one in their right mind will take us seriously as a 'profession'. Not that I think they do when you consider the number of times you're asked if 'you get paid for this' by the staff (including quite senior ones) on construction sites.
In these financially straigtened times (and ignoring Mr Pickles' Big Society) I don't see Architects, Planners, Ecologists or indeed anyone else suggesting that the answer is to up the numbers of volunteers doing their jobs. If this is Archaeology's best shot then we're all doomed because no one in their right mind will take us seriously as a 'profession'. Not that I think they do when you consider the number of times you're asked if 'you get paid for this' by the staff (including quite senior ones) on construction sites.
D. Vader
Senior Consultant
Vader Maull & Palpatine
Archaeological Consultants
A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of Tony Robinson.
Senior Consultant
Vader Maull & Palpatine
Archaeological Consultants
A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of Tony Robinson.