I’ve been working at Allen Archaeology for the best part of four years. I started as a bright-eyed and enthusiastic PA (Project Archaeologist) then worked my way up to the role of Project Supervisor. As you can imagine having such a role has its pros and cons. With highs of being the one who holds the power to allocate slots to reveal the secrets of the site, and lows including being the bearer of bad news when it’s time to go back to work when the lovely English weather is throwing its worst at us and we have deadlines to meet!

There is never a dull day as a supervisor, as it’s a very varied role and often keeps you on your toes depending on the site and how far along you are with it for. You could be machine stripping a site for days on end not finding anything or be on tender hooks as there is so much archaeology your eyes can’t keep up with it. Though on a more established site where you may be for months on end, days can take a more regular form. With starting each day afresh with your eager team ready to get their hands in mud. I would allocate slots for each of team member to dig, record and interpret. Sometimes help is needed with training new staff in recording/ excavating methods or interpreting what a section is telling us by looking at the wider picture and relating it to other features or slots within the same area. Lunch time and break times give everyone the chance to relax and refuel for the rest of the day ahead. If I’m lucky I may get the opportunity to dig features myself but if not then archive checking is a frequent and important task.