13th November 2012, 09:00 AM
Quote:Of course I am more likely to sympathise with Dino's view, belonging to the pre-PPG generation. At least some of the motivation of those left from that dwindling group (those still alive or whom I am still in touch with), is to have a life AND still to work with or be associated with archaeology. And sometimes we do things for our friends and to follow our interest that maybe happen outside of 9-5...but again to my mind that's about having a life and nothing to do with a 'career'.
I was looking at a photo recently put up by a friend of site huts and archaeologists in 1984. We looked healthy, happy... and poor. We wore no hi viz or helmets and looked like a volunteer regiment of irregulars. We cared passionately about archaeology and fun. in equal measures - we relied on each other, and looked after each other. Back then there was not too many of us anyway. Things changed though... and profession came in.... PPG gave us statutory rights to poke our noses into sites even before they knew archaeology was there. But to do this we had to smarten up, and have some rules. now we are at another change... what happens next.
The point I am making is that change happens and we are responsible for the change. The archaeology of the 1980s that I remember was great fun, but not something that meant you were going to make a living. not unless you could get into a Trust or university. but i never wanted for poorly paid work. Then came PPG and it meant we should be able to look developers in the eye instead of asking with cap in hand. I never wanted for work, but increasingly it was on sites with no archaeology OR archaeology that I would never dig, but mitigate. that said, I did lots of great archaeology as well, and travelled the world. Then came the crash... and our bloated profession is showing the signs of what was always expected. We grew into something we were not.
Archaeology should have a degree of progression that allows people to make a living... going back to the 80s is not a good idea. It should also recognise it's self important, money making expanding business model that places profit over archaeology has not worked either... so what now?
All I would like to see is a decent start off rate of pay and conditions. then a telescoped grade system that allows you to move with skills gained and respect. I would like to see archaeology be the most important thing in the tender document. not the bottom line. I would like to see less bullying and a bit more cooperation.
Perhaps that is as stupid as rose tinted glasses of previous decades of archaeology... but I will anyway... not to means we may as well give up.