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Mick Aston Public archaeology I might have been all right for Channel 4 in the 1990s, but what we need now is someone who’s good for X in the 2010s – someone who will be as unlike me as Mortimer Wheeler. Whoever spots that person will be onto a winner. And I could give them some very good advice, because I now know after 20 years what my mistake was. CA: Go on…! MA: The first thing was that I should have got an agent – which I’ve never had – and taken the time to make sure it was someone who understood what I was trying to do. The second is that I should have become an Associate Producer on Time Team. Then I would have been part of the decision whenever there were Below Mick’s current field project is dedicated to investigating the origins of Winscombe. Here Mick and his team of volunteers excavate test pits in the garden of John Penrose MP (left ) and – assisted by a few familiar faces – behind the Woodburgh Dental Surgery (inset ). ll Ha : Teresa MAGEs 18 current archaeology | www.archaeology.co.uk changes to the personnel or format of the programme. As an annually hired presenter I was in a very weak position. So those are the two mistakes that anyone else should get right. CA: Looking back over the last 4 0 years, how do you view the changes in archaeology since you started out in the 1960s? MA: A lot of it is for the good. You see the big development sites of today, and there is no way we could handle those without the organisations we have now: the York Archaeological Trust, Oxford Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, and so on. If you look at the training and technology those people have, I am full of admiration for that. I remember when stuff used to fall out of the side of motorway trenches because there wasn’t anybody to dig it. There was no evaluation of what archaeology might be there or anything. It’s so important that’s changed. The sad thing, I think, is that despite the public interest in archaeology, we don’t seem to be able to harness it. I don’t know why, because so much work does need doing. If every parish had a project like Winscombe going on, not only would we learn a lot, but the spin-offs in terms of social cohesion and the involvement of people would be absolutely phenomenal. You need the big units to do the big projects – but there’s shedloads for everyone else too. There really is. As we thanked Mick and packed up our kit, he added a final thought. A lot of what I’ve said here is very heartfelt, you know. It could get me into trouble. I’m too honest. I say what I think, not what I think I ought to say. It’s a great weakness really. Ca ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS  CA is grateful to Mick and Teresa for a lovely day in Somerset. ctober 2012 |
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Mick Aston Public archaeology

I might have been all right for Channel 4 in the 1990s, but what we need now is someone who’s good for X in the 2010s – someone who will be as unlike me as Mortimer Wheeler. Whoever spots that person will be onto a winner. And I could give them some very good advice, because I now know after 20 years what my mistake was. CA: Go on…! MA: The first thing was that I should have got an agent – which I’ve never had – and taken the time to make sure it was someone who understood what I was trying to do. The second is that I should have become an Associate Producer on Time Team. Then I would have been part of the decision whenever there were

Below Mick’s current field project is dedicated to investigating the origins of Winscombe. Here Mick and his team of volunteers excavate test pits in the garden of John Penrose MP (left ) and – assisted by a few familiar faces – behind the Woodburgh Dental Surgery (inset ).

ll

Ha

: Teresa

MAGEs

18

current archaeology | www.archaeology.co.uk changes to the personnel or format of the programme. As an annually hired presenter I was in a very weak position. So those are the two mistakes that anyone else should get right. CA: Looking back over the last 4 0 years, how do you view the changes in archaeology since you started out in the 1960s? MA: A lot of it is for the good. You see the big development sites of today, and there is no way we could handle those without the organisations we have now: the York Archaeological Trust, Oxford Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, and so on. If you look at the training and technology those people have, I am full of admiration for that. I remember when stuff used to fall out of the side of motorway trenches because there wasn’t anybody to dig it. There was no evaluation of what archaeology might be there or anything. It’s so important that’s changed.

The sad thing, I think, is that despite the public interest in archaeology, we don’t seem to be able to harness it. I don’t know why, because so much work does need doing. If every parish had a project like Winscombe going on, not only would we learn a lot, but the spin-offs in terms of social cohesion and the involvement of people would be absolutely phenomenal. You need the big units to do the big projects – but there’s shedloads for everyone else too. There really is.

As we thanked Mick and packed up our kit, he added a final thought.

A lot of what I’ve said here is very heartfelt, you know. It could get me into trouble. I’m too honest. I say what I think, not what I think I ought to say. It’s a great weakness really.

Ca

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

CA is grateful to Mick and Teresa for a lovely day in Somerset.

ctober 2012 |

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