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The Invisible Diggers: A Study of British Commercial Archaeology

by Paul Everill

Since the increasing reliance on developers to fund archaeological work through the 1980s, and the implementation of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (PPG16) in 1990, British 'commercial' archaeologists have become increasingly distanced from their academic colleagues. This monograph examines the situation within contemporary 'commercial' archaeology and considers the challenges faced by those employed within that sector, including the impact of commercial working practices on pay and conditions of employment and the process of excavation and knowledge production. This monograph provides a fascinating insight into the working environment of commercial archaeologists and demonstrates how camaraderie and love of their job is often just enough to outweigh the adversity they face in the form of low wages, poor employment conditions and career prospects. 227p (Heritage Publications, an imprint of Oxbow Books 2009)

Review Quotes

"It's an eclectic mix of data that shouldn’t really work in an academic study, but here it’s used with great success, effectively conveying the articulate, witty and intelligent nature of its subjects, whilst simultaneously providing genuine insights not only into their personal and collective concerns for their career prospects and futures, but also into the general inadequacies of the professional archaeological underbelly."

Rescue News 109 (Spring 2010)

"Eminently readable... this book has many themes and is a rich mine for further work."

Christopher Catling
Current Archaeology (November 2009)

"Everill is getting his hands dirty - and his back bruised... he has highlighted issues we should be ashamed to have ignored."

Mike Pitts
British Archaeology 110 (December 2009)

"An important contribution to a real issue."

Ian Burrow
Antiquity vol. 83 (December 2009)

"Everill has the detachment necessary to analyse and present the commerical field archaeologist to a wider audience while drawing upon his own experiences.. As good as it gets."

British Archaeological Jobs & Resources Forum (BAJR) (2009)

Visit the Invisible Diggers Website

Click here to visit Paul Everill's website. Invisiblediggers.net has a wealth of information on Commercial Archaeology in the UK.

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