ARCHAEOLOGY -Life in the Trenches: It Ain't All Golden Masks and Crystal Skulls

Archaeology is a beguiling occupation. Who wouldn't be attracted to finding cool, old stuff buried in the ground? It appeals to the child in us all. But archaeology isn’t all gold masks, crystal skulls and temples. Often it’s chert flakes on a lake shore, burials in the forgotten corner of a field, or pioneer dwellings in the woods. Sometimes it just isn’t all that glamorous. The reality is that for every well-known archaeologist - the kind you might see doing exciting things on TV - there are legions of less high-profile characters working in the background. Their work may not be quite as sexy or result in paradigm-changing discoveries, but it is important and valuable. The following chapters are snap-shots of archaeology from more than forty years of work in both Britain and Canada. Rather than spending too much time on the scientific and technical, Nick has focussed on stories which convey the life of a working archaeologist ...... well, his working life anyway.