comparative studies

[Tim]

It's even worse here. At least you have people who know how to dig

Little Tim

[troll]

Yep-site assistants.
Of course this is only one aspect...how do other nations legislate-if at all to ensure the heritage gets a good deal?

[Cautionary Tale]

If you search for the World Archaeological Conference in Cape Town, you should find a paper comparing UK to USA archaeological frameworks. Apparently the US went commercial in the 60s. I shall interrogate a Canadian type I know for the exact situation there, but I gather there is a much stronger tradition of simply building well away from archaeological sites because there is simply so much more space.

(I really have worked in the field)

[idontdodinos]

Each province in Canada has its own system in place although they are quite similar. New build sites, pipelines, forestry sites etc are surveyed by qualified archaeologists (ie. those with BA/BSc minimum) with those sites in danger of destruction being excavated. Archives are deposited with the provincial museum. I would guess the majority of sites are published due to the short excavation season (we don't excavate in the winter, with the ground being frozen and all). Staff spend the winter in the lab doing post-ex. Some units even encourage staff to write journal articles about the site!

Prior to excavation the unit has to obtain a permit to excavate from the provincial government. In Alberta the permit holder must have a relevant masters degree from a recognised univeristy.

I am sure there are some horror stories out there but from what I have heard from those who have been working in commercial archaeology things are pretty good. There are definately perks, such as decent food and lodging paid for on all away sites and a good salary.

I think a factor which has an influence on how sites are treated back home is that most sites are palaeo-indian/native sites. There is still a very large native population who are the direct descendants of the people who lived on the same land 500, 1000, 5000, even 15,000 years ago whereas England, which had been invaded by the Romans, then the Anglo-Saxons etc etc there is not so much of a direct link to the people and cultures that we excavate over here as there is in Canada. There is a long history of oral tradition within the native culture and archaeologists often work alongside the local natives bands and tribes (who are trying to preserve their unique culture), in an effort to help each other understand the archaeology, even on commerical sites.

I hope that makes sense. I'd be happy to clarify my rambling if need be [?]

dinos

[troll]

Many thanx-this is what I`m after. Apparently in OZ, after a four-year honours degree you become a consultant.......

[uncle andy]

dont believe everything you hear in the pub shags. While (Aus) we may be able to call ourselves "consultants" after 4 years, there is a very simple accreditation system that evaluates consultants according to their experience, granting them differing levels of membership to the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists, which (I assume) is used to pre-qualify consultants to various sized jobs.

http://www.aacai.com.au/whatisaacai.html

However, having only completed three of my four years on my way to said "consutancy", I am not in a position to tell you if it is effective.

In any case, given the scarcity of work, and the growing # of archaeologists, I think the really ordinary ones soon get discovered and very well known. Such competition, of course, also makes it difficult to establish regular work regardless of whether you are calling yourself a digger or consultant, and therefore makes the issue somewhat academic.

[Hugh]

quote:Originally posted by troll

How do other nations treat their heritage? What systems are in place and do they work?
On another website, I recently saw a quote from an American archaeologist "if you think we have it bad here guys, just look at what goes on in the UK".
I don`t appreciate being ashamed of the system in my country of birth.

That rich, have you seen how they excavate?
France is meant to have brought in a terrible pecie of legislation a couple of years ago. I don't know if it has since been repealed but it amounted to a statement that said that developers didn't have to do archaeological investigations if they didn't want to. It's in one of the European Archaeologist Journals form 2003.

[achingknees]

quote:Originally posted by idontdodinos


I think a factor which has an influence on how sites are treated back home is that most sites are palaeo-indian/native sites. There is still a very large native population who are the direct descendants of the people who lived on the same land 500, 1000, 5000, even 15,000 years ago whereas England, which had been invaded by the Romans, then the Anglo-Saxons etc etc there is not so much of a direct link to the people and cultures that we excavate over here as there is in Canada. There is a long history of oral tradition within the native culture and archaeologists often work alongside the local natives bands and tribes (who are trying to preserve their unique culture), in an effort to help each other understand the archaeology, even on commerical sites.

dinos

Maybe, but the British can point to continuous occupation since the end of the Ice Age. A few contributions to the melting pot have occured, but on balance these are extremely local additions on the whole ie channel hopping. Until fairly recently the spice in the pot was provided by the (non-Roman) Romans, but essentially the same meat over 10,000 years plus.

In the Americas there is much debate about multiple founders. Also there is good historical evidence for great dynamics in settlement. This must have occured in the more distant past as well.

So, I think it's more to do with perception than reality.

[achingknees]

quote:Originally posted by troll

How do other nations treat their heritage? What systems are in place and do they work?
On another website, I recently saw a quote from an American archaeologist "if you think we have it bad here guys, just look at what goes on in the UK".
I don`t appreciate being ashamed of the system in my country of birth.

Without a context for this I can't give an opinion - what is so bad? Just to get some balance (and not being a nationalistic archie), there are good reasons for being proud of archaeology in the UK. In the USA they may do some things better, like paying more attention to topsoil artefacts, but there is a horrible entrenchment for digging sites in a planum method. Indeed, Dr Ed Harris has received some severe criticism over the years for his single context and matrix system. Planum excavation is also very common outside the UK, even in European countries with a long archaeological fieldwork pedigree. Tim, what's the situation in Switzerland?

[achingknees]

further to my last past here's a quote from the great man himself...

Later on, the Matrix Movement was given considerable impetus in the Americas by its adoption at Colonial Williamsburg under the leadership of Dr. Marley Brown, III, its Director of Archaeological Research. Given the unfortunate nationalistic bias of some American archaeologists/anthropologists, I take pleasure somewhat in the fact that I have never been able to publish in an American journal. When I approached American Antiquity with an interesting and possible important article on the subject of the interface, I was run out of town, with one reviewer baying for blood, saying that I ?should not be allowed to continue in archaeology at all.? Unfortunately for that dear soul, the cat was already out of the bag and it continues to feast on those pigeons that destroy archaeological sites without adequate stratigraphic recording.

*************
visit this essential site....esp the history section...

http://www.harrismatrix.com/