Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (39 page)

A branch of archaeology that is concerned with the identification, mapping, recording, assessment, evaluation, and documentation of archaeological sites and objects at all scales in order to assist in their conservation, protection, preservation, presentation, and exploitation through effective mitigation strategies, excavation, and non-destructive study. Major aspects of this work involve: the administration of legislation that bears on archaeological remains; informing the decision-making process as it applies to the potential impacts of development on archaeological remains; issuing permits and licences; monitoring and managing contract archaeology; the definition and application of research policies; and the development of public education programmes. In the USA and Australia this branch of archaeology is often referred to as
cultural resource management (CRM)
where it also covers the management of the contemporary material culture of the indigenous populations. The term
archaeological heritage management (AHM)
is also used in the international context.

 
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Principal piece of legislation in the USA for the protection of archaeological resources: that is, the material remains of past human existence, of archaeological interest, which are more than 100 years old. The legislation also includes procedures for the issuing of permits to lawfully excavate archaeological sites.

 
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A systematic attempt to locate, identify, and record the distribution, structure, and form of archaeological sites on the ground and in relation to their natural geographic and environmental setting.

 
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A body of philosophical and theoretical concepts providing both a framework and a means for archaeologists to look beyond the facts and material objects for explanations of events that took place in prehistory.

 
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1
Arbitrary unit of classification set up by archaeologists to separate conveniently one grouping of artefacts in time and space from another.
2
In Britain, a general term for any organization established for the purpose of carrying out archaeological surveys and investigations. An archaeological contractor.

 
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Someone who studies the past using archaeological methods and in the context of established archaeological theory, with the motive of recording, interpreting, and understanding ancient cultures and what they did.

 
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