27th August 2012, 05:51 PM
The question of volunteers in archaeology is a difficult one because as with any profession and I worry that the widespread use of volunteers to staff sites would create almost an intern system for entry level jobs in archaeology. It can become elitist as a system as only those with alternative methods of supporting themselves will be able to hang around for the required period.
The starting wages are low enough, especially with the levels of student debt most graduates will have, without now expecting people to work for free.
I find it incredible that, given the time frames that we deal with in archaeology, we are so incapable of thinking long term as a profession. We are neglecting those entering the industry because we can - there is no incentive to train as there are plenty of archaeologists who have already been trained. So how do you compete - you devalue your labour. Working for free now means you cannot be undercut but you are in a situation which cannot be sustained, when do you ask for a wage and then what is that wage? And what now makes you more attractive to employ than the next enthusiastic volunteer who is not asking for money? Do you risk further debt hanging on just incase a paid position comes up?
Why is there so much focus within the heritage sector on community archaeology and teaching excavation skills to people who with the best will in the world will never see archaeology as more than a hobby? Would it not be more beneficial to use at least some of this money to train field archaeologists? And as much as i think they do great work the CBA grants which aim at training community archaeologists and have done for a number of years but realistically how many do we need! Surely we need to sit down as a profession and have a grown up conversation about how we train our next generation of field staff with the skills we need them to have. Go back to basics - field skills have to be taught through experience so why are we so reluctant to train?
Staff in archaeology have also had to put up with short term contracts and short term thinking with most training being ad hoc but we need to think ahead. What is the future for new archaeologists? When there are more people wanting to do a job than jobs available do we exploit this - we are a commercial enterprise in the main so when do we change - and when will it be too late?
The starting wages are low enough, especially with the levels of student debt most graduates will have, without now expecting people to work for free.
I find it incredible that, given the time frames that we deal with in archaeology, we are so incapable of thinking long term as a profession. We are neglecting those entering the industry because we can - there is no incentive to train as there are plenty of archaeologists who have already been trained. So how do you compete - you devalue your labour. Working for free now means you cannot be undercut but you are in a situation which cannot be sustained, when do you ask for a wage and then what is that wage? And what now makes you more attractive to employ than the next enthusiastic volunteer who is not asking for money? Do you risk further debt hanging on just incase a paid position comes up?
Why is there so much focus within the heritage sector on community archaeology and teaching excavation skills to people who with the best will in the world will never see archaeology as more than a hobby? Would it not be more beneficial to use at least some of this money to train field archaeologists? And as much as i think they do great work the CBA grants which aim at training community archaeologists and have done for a number of years but realistically how many do we need! Surely we need to sit down as a profession and have a grown up conversation about how we train our next generation of field staff with the skills we need them to have. Go back to basics - field skills have to be taught through experience so why are we so reluctant to train?
Staff in archaeology have also had to put up with short term contracts and short term thinking with most training being ad hoc but we need to think ahead. What is the future for new archaeologists? When there are more people wanting to do a job than jobs available do we exploit this - we are a commercial enterprise in the main so when do we change - and when will it be too late?