13th April 2013, 12:34 PM
P Prentice Wrote:because the world of commercial archaeology is only concerned with ticking boxes and mitigating against destruction. for this you need few skills and only a passing understanding of any given context
That's not entirely true. It would be more accurate to say that the skills possessed by many archaeologists employed in commercial archaeology are not skills they acquired at university. It is not fair (or correct) to say that we need 'few skills'.....taking myself as an example of somone who has been employed in commercial archaeology for 30 years, I am skilled at most all archaeolgical tasks and very skilled at a few....I would certainly feel competent at holding my own against the skill base of anyone employed in whatever the reciprocal of 'commercial archaeology' is called. I would agree that newer members of the 'commercial archaeology' community have to adopt an attitude that values skill acquisition and continue that throughout their archaeological career.
Reason I wouldn't attend this session (aside from the travelling to Brazil bit) is that the premise it is based upon is actually largely bollocks and sounds as if it were devised over a heavy latte session in a university coffee-bar by undergraduates with no real concept of what it is they are talking about....
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...