Swap you the back and knees and shoulders. Actually I was think of
graduating to begging in old age despite having a personal pension plan.
Personally I have more degrees than I know what to do with but some of the
best archaeologists I know (on quality of work) haven't got a degree in
anything. I also know loads of graduates who call themselves
post-medievalists/historical archaeologists who haven't read a book since
school if ever, couldn't tell a sherd of Buckley from Saintonge, think Le
Creusot (the French equivalent of Sheffield for you insular Yanks) is a
range of pans or a French marxist philosopher and get confused between the
Reformation and the Dissolution and wouldn't recognise a verb if it hit them
in the face, and their digging is so bad Wheeler would have had them lined
up and pitched in the latrine pit.

paul courtney
Leicester UK
See you in the bar at York- mine's a pint of Landlord


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Allen" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 2:19 PM
Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?


>I worked for a CRM'er with broad local, state, and federal contacts for a
> decade with no health insurance most of the time, no education benefits,
> no
> 401k's, no overtime even with long hours on rushed projects, less pay than
> a
> primary educator, lots of parasites and bodily environmental degradation
> including clay shoveler's back.  Benefits included workman's comp (really
> designed to limit an employers liability) and the benefit of a doubt. I
> slowly figured out that I would have to retire myself if it was ever going
> to happen and hung out my own shingle.  Contract firms with decent benefit
> packages are scarce around here.  The only retirees I've seen are from
> state
> positions.  Show me the money:):):)
>
> Dan Allen
> Cumberland Research Group, Inc.
> and
> GRA @ the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pam Asbury-Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:51 PM
> Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?
>
>
>> So, what... you've never heard of a 401K??
>>
>> Pam Asbury-Smith
>> SRI/Tucson
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Dan Allen" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 12:47 PM
>> Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?
>>
>>
>>> I agree with Ron May which is one reason why I continue to support
>> conflict
>>> theory:):):) I've also never heard of anyone retiring with a pension
>>> from
>> a
>>> consulting archaeological firm.  Are we being snookered?
>>>
>>> Dan Allen
>>> Cumberland Research Group, Inc.
>>> and
>>> Graduate Research Assistant
>>> Center for Historic Preservation @ MTSU
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Ron May" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 11:28 AM
>>> Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?
>>>
>>>
>>> > Have you ever noticed that as people advance in rank, they set the
>>> > standard
>>> > behind them higher for those who follow them? I recall the local
>>> > consulting
>>> > archaeologists patting themselves on the back for convincing local
>>> > agencies to
>>> > require SOPA (now RPA) certification as a measure for practicing
>>> > archaeology,
>>> > which eliminated the competition.
>>> >
>>> > Ron May
>>> > Legacy 106, Inc.
>>> >
>>>
>>