22nd February 2011, 01:53 PM
I agree.
Any commercial-based archaeological work should seek to mitigate the damage caused by the client. Should be targeted towards recovering / recording an appropriate sample to hit current research agendas.
But should not be aimed at total recording / recvovery, or getting what you can out of a client. Use of technology like GPS, rectified photography, etc are vital tools in speeding up laborious recording. Geophysics, trial trenching and advisments on small redesigns can limit the damage on the archaeological record by the construction AND archaeological excavation.
Something that I always bear in mind is that archaeological excavation is destructive, totally...once its excavated its gone forever! (except for the baulks) Who mitigates that damage?
I wonder if archaeologists of the near future, with their new techniques and technology will think of work done in this decade. Will they bemoan all the information lost in the rush to excavate? Or will they appreciate (some) archaeologists efforts to preserve stuff under the topsoil?
Any commercial-based archaeological work should seek to mitigate the damage caused by the client. Should be targeted towards recovering / recording an appropriate sample to hit current research agendas.
But should not be aimed at total recording / recvovery, or getting what you can out of a client. Use of technology like GPS, rectified photography, etc are vital tools in speeding up laborious recording. Geophysics, trial trenching and advisments on small redesigns can limit the damage on the archaeological record by the construction AND archaeological excavation.
Something that I always bear in mind is that archaeological excavation is destructive, totally...once its excavated its gone forever! (except for the baulks) Who mitigates that damage?
I wonder if archaeologists of the near future, with their new techniques and technology will think of work done in this decade. Will they bemoan all the information lost in the rush to excavate? Or will they appreciate (some) archaeologists efforts to preserve stuff under the topsoil?