Anita,
 
 
>The degree lets people know that you hav
e
> the knowledge necessary to conduct any sort of archaeological investigation,
> be it salvage or field school.
 
I do not agree that a Ph.D. lets people know anything of the sort.  You're
allowing the same assumption to be made about a Ph.D. that people are
complaining is made about SOPA certification-- "If you've got the credentials,
you know what you are doing."
 
As a librarian, I am sure you don't judge a book by its cover; nor should you
judge a person's capabilities simply by their credentials.  Just last year I
had to perform Phase III CRM work on a "buried cultural horizon" that consisted
of previously timbered, cultivated, thoroughly disturbed plowzone; all because
a previous investigator (with a Ph.D.) could not recognize the backfill from a
bulldozer cut.
 
>    As far as I can tell, so far, the SOPA credential just says that one has a
t
> least an MA and has done some fieldwork. Who sits on the committee that
> certifies these people?
 
When I applied for SOPA certification, I also had to provide examples of my
publications and, I believe, previous CRM work.
 
Incidentally, SOPA certification was not considered sufficient for at least one
Ohio state agency, which also required that I be reviewed by the National Park
Service.
 
This and previous e-mail are not intended as a flame against all archaeologists
holding the Ph.D.
 
Jim Murphy
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