Matthew S.
About me
| Matthew S. | |
| Archaeology | |
| Archaeology | |
| Taught Postgraduate | |
| Alcuin | |
| 2018 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Commercial Archaeologist | |
| Red River Archaeology | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Science and research | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2018 |
More about Matthew
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A day in the life of a Commercial Archaeologist in the United Kingdom
I'm an archaeologist! Dig holes, record those holes. Dig bones, record those bones. Many photographs, many drawings, many holes.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Your average Commercial Archaeology Unit, generally contracted by construction companies but at the moment largely linked with large scale infrastructure.
What do you do?
I'm an archaeologist! Dig holes, record those holes. Dig bones, record those bones. Many photographs, many drawings, many holes.
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
After a certain amount of applying for almost anyone, with an eye on commercial units, I managed to get lucky and get a temp contract with the unit I'm currently with. 3 years now, so not quite as temporary as I was led to believe.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
Not at all. Did an archaeology undergrad, led on to a Funerary Archaeology masters. I now do commercial archaeology, a lot of which at the moment is linked to death and burial.
Describe your most memorable day at work
A tough question! The amazing thing with this job is that there are a million things that come to mind. I guess a big one is an excavation a couple of years ago, a Roman Villa in Wiltshire. We had a structure, lovely wall foundations making quite a nice shape. Digging off what was covering what we thought was the entrance to find gorgeous slate flooring, under which was a full Hypercaust. Heated entrance to what was quite a small estate really. It was one of my first sites, and that surprise mixed with pride that we had managed to find it really sums up archaeology for me.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
It is, at its base, very physical. Shovels and mattocks and so on. There are commercial archaeology positions available for less-abled people, but they tend to be more desk based.
Also, deadlines are a thing. The unit is beholden to construction companies, usually, who like things to be done a few weeks before possible.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
It's very outdoors, obviously. Clothing is always high-vis. Usually emblazoned with the company logo.
Working away can be a challenge, the company provides accommodation local to the work as well as a certain amount of money a day for food etc, and the accommodation is usually sharing with other people in your company.
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
Almost none, unfortunately! I worked through both degrees, so the time not spent on coursework/lectures were waiting tables, cleaning offices or, somewhat memorably, delivering a baby.
What would you like to do next with your career?
The plan is to stay at commercial! Hopefully move units to one slightly closer to home, but stick with it. Move up the ranks. No rush.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Experience is absolutely key. With everything. What an employer wants is for someone to already know what they are doing to a certain degree. That's likely true with most professions.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
Any and all.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
If you can, have a thing! A bit of archaeology you love. Time period, bit of material culture, whatever. If I could go back, I'd use the opportunity to be a bit more specialised. Learn as much as possible about Roman Pottery. You'd be amazed how useful being the 'Medieval guy' on a site can be, for example.
Next steps...
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