Minerals Extraction and Archaeology: A Practice Guide - CBI

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KEY POST-DETERMINATIONTECHNIQUESArchaeologicalsurveyExcavationMonitoringPalaeoenvironmentalanalysisStrip, map andsampleWatching briefWHAT CAN IT DELIVER?This may take the form of atopographic survey of upstandingfeatures, a contour survey orrapid walkover survey to identifyany surviving features withsurface expression.Full recording and/or samplingof archaeological remainsover large or small areasbefore removal.This may include anarchaeologist visiting anextraction site on a regular basiswhen extraction is taking placeto monitor sediment or rocksections in order to identify andrecord archaeological featuresthat may be revealed.Reconstructs past human useof the environment through avariety of methods that includesampling organic sedimentsfor pollen, seeds, charred orwaterlogged wood, and indicatorspecies such as beetles, snailsor other organisms.Stripping the site to reveal theentire archaeological remainswithin a development area,planning them and thenselectively sampling to provideinformation sufficient tointerpret the site adequately.Ensures archaeologicalmonitoring (and recording ifnecessary) over a given area asit is stripped back under closearchaeological supervision.• necessary• relevant to planning• relevant to the development to be permitted• enforceable• precise• reasonable in all other respectsAny programme of post-permission archaeologicalworks should be discussed and agreed with thearchaeological curator in advance of commencement.Such a requirement usually appears as part of anarchaeological condition.39 Archaeological mitigation measures range from nofurther work, through full excavation to preservationin situ of archaeological remains.Typically they liesomewhere between two ends of the spectrum andinvolve a combination of preservation, excavation(ie recording) and perhaps long-term monitoring (seeTable 5). Because the choice of mitigation measuresrequires a long-term perspective, due considerationshould be given to ensuring that mitigation solutions aresustainable over the long term. In some cases this meansthat archaeological remains will be protected through‘preservation by design’. For example, if ground waterlevels need to be altered, this work will be designedin a way that prevents any waterlogged archaeologicalremains from drying out and thus being destroyed.Where remains are preserved in situ there may be aneed for long-term monitoring, and possible provision forfurther mitigation if preservation conditions deteriorate.40 A key part of post-permission mitigation is theassessment, analysis, archiving and dissemination ofinformation – sometimes referred to as the ‘postexcavationstage’ (Table 6). It is not only essential thatsuch work is factored into the cost of post-permissionmitigation but also that its level and scope is agreedwith the archaeological curator shortly after thefieldwork is complete. Later on there may be significantopportunities for developers to use interpretative,educational and outreach initiatives to engage withthe wider community and gain recognition for theirinvestment in the archaeological heritage.Table 5: Contributions of the archaeological techniques that are most typicallyused in the post-determination stage.15
TYPICAL POST-EXCAVATIONWORKPrimary archiveAssessmentAnalysisReport ProductionWHAT CAN IT DELIVER?This includes a stratigraphyreport detailing all archaeologicalfeatures and contexts andrelating them to theirstratigraphic sequence and anyrelationships between features aswell as illustrations, photographsof the small finds andenvironmental samples andtheir accompanying registers.After the primary or site archiveis compiled certain categoriesof material that may providefurther information are rapidlyassessed to see whether theymerit a full analysis. For example,common finds that are assessedare pottery, flint tools,metalwork, skeletal remains,environmental samples andmaterial that could beradiocarbon dated. Selectedsamples may be dated to providespot-dates on key deposits.If, after assessment, any materialis considered appropriate forfurther analysis then a morethoroughanalysis of the materialtakes place.This could include,for example, the acquisition ofradiocarbon dates, a report onthe pottery assemblage orreport on the environmentalremains from a site.Once the primary archive hasbeen assembled and anyassessments and analyses arecomplete a final integratedreport is produced that shouldsynthesise and interpret thearchaeological remains.ArchiveDisseminationThis includes the archiving andmounting of photographs andtransparencies, the conservationand appropriate storage of smallfinds and the paper site archive.These should then be depositedwith an appropriate institution.The digital archive is normallysubmitted to the on-linedatabase of archaeological sites(OASIS).This may take a range of formsfrom a published academic paperor monograph to newspaperand magazine articles, publictalks, television and radioprogrammes, other mediacoverage, information panels,open days, school visits orschool packs, leaflets, guidedwalks and so forth.Table 6: Contributions of the key components of the post-excavation, archiveand dissemination phase.41 Restoration is a key element of mineral extractionand one that has been carried out to good effect onmany sites, thereby improving the landscape and thequality of life of local communities. It is important thatplans for quarry restoration are in keeping with thehistoric landscape character of the site’s surroundings.In practice this has to be reconciled with a widerrange of interests that may also include biodiversity,geodiversity and recreation.16
Page 1 and 2: Mineral Extractionand Archaeology:A
Page 3: CONTENTSpageIntroduction 3Agreed ba
Page 7 and 8: 454 Dix Quarry, Stanton Harcourt,Ox
Page 9 and 10: THE PLANNING PROCESSOverview22 The
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Page 21 and 22: 20 The study of previousarchaeologi
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