In Britain the job market is more flexible as regards qualifications plus we
have a long tradition of mature students doing archaeology degrees later in
life. Avocational archaeology has also made a very major contribution in
Britain to our current state of knowledge and many leading professional
archaeologists started off that way. However, you are always going to hit a
glass ceiling without a degree but part-time research degrees and now
distance learning degrees offer people a chance to catch up on those
qualifications in the workplace. However, the worst career decision I ever
made was getting a PhD in a period when Univeristy spending was being
slashed by Maggie- made me absolutely unemployable but I better not get
started about anti-intellectualism in Britain. Now in Germany you can have
an MA, 50 publications and 20 years experience but you can bet the 25 year
old with the PhD will get promoted over you.
paul courtney
Leicester
Uk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pam Asbury-Smith" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004 4:37 PM
Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?
> Retirement; OK, then... how about an IRA? (Nothing to do with Ireland,
> in
> this instance...) There are plenty of plans for people who don't have
> anything through employment, but you have to make an effort to find a good
> one and invest. Even 5 bucks a week adds up. I'm fortunate enough to
> have
> a pension from another career, but I've always worked for a company with
> 401K options and have taken advantage of every one. Oh, and I'm retiring
> next spring.
>
> Paul... I also know an archaeologist with 25+ years of experience, who is
> very conscientious and does excellent work, but has no degree. The
> result
> is that he's almost always "crew", working for someone with a degree but
> only a couple years experience.
>
> Pam Asbury-Smith
> SRI Tucson
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "paul courtney" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 3:29 PM
> Subject: Re: definition of an 'archaeologist' ?
>
>
>> 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.
>> >>> >
>> >>>
>> >>
>>
>
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