29th March 2006, 04:42 PM
Inviz- I am with a County Coucil Unit with our offices on a Uni campus. Still commercially based but with further remits to involve the public in their Counties heritage.
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Diggers Time?
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29th March 2006, 05:47 PM
Blimey, talk about a foot in every camp! If asked if you are in the Commercial, Public or Education sector you can just say yes!
 But that's the aspect I'm not sure about, the use of unpaid staff by a council based outfit, who thus (perhaps) gain a commercial advantage over purely commercial firms. I'm positive it's not done with evil or malicuous intent I hasten to add, but purely with the best and most laudable intentions, but is there a by-product, as it were? But it's been discussed here a number of times before and is not really the subject of this thread, sorry guys. We owe the dead nothing but the truth.
31st March 2006, 05:33 PM
Possibly right Beasley as one of the less experieced diggers where I am currently working less experienced are more in predominence, which I think can be a b it of problem as some of us are just out of uni and fieldwork experinence varies greatly coming out.
Butr from what I have gathered it has been a growing problem as experienced diggers seem to leave and there not being enough to pass on expertise to others. A problem I fear will grow as universities become more and more theoretical. For me I wa told I would be fully trained with only 4 WEEKS of field work after Uni, I have done in total about 9 months and was still lacking in skills and getting that experiece was done of my own back. Definatly a growing problem. Orkynowot May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.
31st March 2006, 05:37 PM
Digger,
The Uni I went to had a unit and could not take on volenteers for insurance reasons. Would have loved to have got more experience working with a unit. Though the Uni I was at is starting a fieldwork master the unit will not be involved for insurance reasons!!!!! Orkynowot. May god go with you in all the dark places you must walk.
10th April 2006, 01:02 AM
The college I went to ran some truly awful digs, one lecturer, albeit a part timer, was using student labour to do his research for his PHD!
deep
15th April 2006, 12:52 AM
And, with the high cost of a degree to undergraduates, why exactly should they be used as cheap labour for someone elses research, I'm not suggesting that they don't need digging experience but, if they have to fully fund themselves, how are they going to be persuaded to do voluntary work as well as the intense workload of a degree and keep down a job to pay for their course too?
Tory suggestions on the back of a postage stamp please!! deep
15th April 2006, 10:47 AM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by deepdigger I was once told that the course I am doing is the most expensive in the country. In addition to high living costs, not being alowed a job during term time as university policy forbids it, we need to do 5 weeks of compulsary digging in the summer which we have to fund ourselves. And yes often enough most of the digs we would end up going on would be accompanying accademics from the uni to whatever summer dig they were running. I dont begrudge this bit too much as in the end it did give us opportunities to dig in a variety of countries and for a much lower price than a normal training dig. The dig I ended up on, although not being an example of great archaeology (Q.professor what about all those layers above the cemetery?... A.What about them?), was free apart from living costs and transport out to Georgia. And to be honest I would like the uni to enforce more than 5 weeks of digging for a 3 year degree, but with the current cost situation it would be grossly unfair on most of the students. In the end it comes down to the few who can either afford it or who are seriously motivated enough to go out and find additional digs whenever they can.
15th April 2006, 01:58 PM
I found when I was at uni the careers advice service were useless when it came to archaeology students. They either didn't have a clue or had useless advice. They seem to be set up for people who want to go into business or computers or something... We had a few recent graduates turn up last year expecting to have office jobs and were shocked when given a shovel.
When I was at uni we had to do six weeks on training digs, but you could do more, and it was free bar living expenses. They also accepted volunteers from the local community (as long as they sorted out their own insurance). Having said that I went to a small department and out of the twenty in my year I think only about six of us are still in the field Lucy
16th April 2006, 08:33 PM
It's a whole different world isn't it?
When I was doing a Computer Science degree back in the '80s there was a requirement for practical experience in industry in the form of a sandwich year:- this was paid and the wages ranged from (remember this is the '80s) ?7000 to ?35000*.... But over in the wonderful world of archaeology the undergrads are expected to be grateful that they are allowed to work for nothing on their lecturer's research digs, some of which don't exactly teach them a whole load... *If it's any consulation the guy that got this failed his degree as he had so much money he could afford to become an alcoholic at the age of 19...
16th April 2006, 11:27 PM
Quote:quote:Originally posted by srd123 Nope, thats no consulation at all... I'm going to have to really love archaeology for this to work out. Or else become a male stripper at the weekends to make ends meet |
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