Re: field tech=unskilled labor?
   Poor composition and grammar aside, the Department of Labor's job description
 29023,
Archeological Technician I, clearly describes the tasks performed by my voluntee
rs. It
does not describe the duties and responsibilities of my field crew. Field techni
cians
typically do not assist in filling out forms and drawing plans and profiles: as
an
employer, I expect every crew person to be able to perform these simple tasks
unassisted, and to train volunteers and students in the basic skills of fieldwor
k,
laboratory protocols, and archival research. Virtually every crew person whom I
have
hired and worked with over the past twenty years has held at least a B.A. in
anthropology, history, or American studies. Most completed a fieldschool as well
. These
skilled individuals provide the backbone of any field project. How well they per
form
determines the quality and overall cost effectiveness of every project.
 
If contractors and government agencies hire persons with lesser skills, it is be
cause of
a seasonal shortage--nationwide and often at the regional level--of qualified
technicians and middle level supervisors. Non-profit organizations and governmen
t
agencies often justify remarkable salaries and benefits to upper level managers
by
insisting that such packages are necessary to attract talented people from the p
rivate
sector. Such an argument is no less valid when applied to cultural resources man
agement.
Indeed, we trivialize our discipline by maintaining a pool of relatively low-pai
d,
under-employed individuals who remain in the field until 'something better comes
 along,'
or until 'it is time to grow up and get a real job.'