Dear all,
This may be of special interest to the U.K. subscribers but of some
interest to many others. I have heard that as a result of a Business
Development Review and proposed new organisational structure at MoLAS (the
Museum of London Archaeology Service), thirteen specialist posts, including
all five specialists in archaeobotany and archaeozoology (as well as all in
post-Roman Finds, and building materials) are currently threatened with
redundancy. As management sees it, there appears to be a lack of work and
demand and a financial loss is made from these specialists. While it is
true that work is currently scarce for a few of these specialists, this is
a short-term situation as MoLAS has a great deal of current and proposed
excavation work, and it is unclear how it intends to deal with material
from these, as well as maintaining its existing project commitments. Four
of the five threatened environmental specialists have worked for MoLAS for
15 years or more and are extremely experienced in their specialisms, and in
the environmental archaeology of London. London's assemblages are unique in
Britain and there is a possibility that MoLAS will lose its in-house
specialists in these fields.
The consultation period ends at the end of next week and expressions of
concern should be directed at the management at MoLAS as soon as possible.
With best wishes,
Dominique
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