In a message dated 2/7/01 8:53:35 AM Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< omeone on the german-language list said that many british (and, he
assumes, US and canadian) excavations are mostly staffed by untrained
volunteers and green students - i said that there has been some discussion
lately about the fact that professional units and private companies don't
really have any room for supervising volunteers, so most rescue excavation
is done by trained and experienced personnel - that volunteers and the like
no longer have a chance to gain experience - and that apart from a few digs
run by local societies and the like (university training digs), excavation
has pretty much gone professional in english-speaking archaeology - is that
about right or have i got it wrong?"
>>
Under the propert circumstances, the life experiences of volunteers can
greatly enrich an archaeological project. I have directed an archaeology
project focused on a 18th century Spanish fort, overlain by a 19th century
European American whaling station and deposit from an early 20th century U.S.
Army Quartermaster's burned building. We dug for 15 years and have spent the
past 5 years working on the collections to meet 36 CFR 79.9 and present
papers. The volunteers included engineers, computer specialists, teachers,
business people, and students... oh yes, and me. Together we designed
conversion of a 1939 handball court into a nice lab and then got the U.S.
Navy to convert an underground morgue into a climate controlled collection
management space that is the envy of many very jealous local professional
archaeologists. No one here could fairly criticize the field records,
collection analysis, or collection management. And yet, my crew are mostly
retired people who are not archaeologists. As I said, it all depends on the
circumstances.
Naturally, the biggest critics are people who stand to lose the most from a
good volunteer program. I should say, I volunteered all my time over the past
20 years to the project.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
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