Excavation

Institute of Field Archaeologists standards and guidance for archaeological excavation

The Standard

An archaeological excavation will examine and record the archaeological resource within a specified area using appropriate methods and practices. These will satisfy the stated aims of the skele project, and comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA. It will result in one or more published accounts and an ordered, accessible archive.

Excavation definition

The definition of archaeological excavation is a programme of controlled intrusive fieldwork with defined research objectives which examines, records and interprets archaeological structures and as appropriate, retrieves artefacts, ecofacts and other remains within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater. The records made and objects gathered during fieldwork are studied and the results of that study published in detail appropriate to the project design.

The purpose of excavation is to gain examine the archaeological resource within a given area or site within a framework of defined research objectives, to seek a better understanding of and compile a lasting record of that resource, to analyse and interpret the results, and disseminate them.

Occurrence

Excavation may arise:

In response to a proposed development, which threatens the archaeological resource
As part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national planning policy guidance notes and/or development plan policy)
As part of an environmental Assessment (EA)

Outside the planning process (e g ecclesiastical development, coastal erosion, agriculture, forestry and countryside management, works by public utilities and statutory undertakers)

Within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource hole

In connection with the preparation of management plans by private, local, national or international bodies

Excavation may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private landowners, developers or their agents, archaeological researchers etc.