Archaeological site conservation and management An appraisal of recent trends

Abstract

There is an increasing awareness and interest in the issues of archaeological site conservation and management. The acknowledgement of these issues has encouraged greater collaboration between the allied professions of archaeology and heritage conservation. From this is evolving a new body of literature and practice. This paper offers an assessment of the field through a literature review of the past 25 years. The investigation reveals a lack of commonly agreed upon standards, principles and practices and the need for active cooperation between the related disciplines and local communities. It traces the development of the field from isolated material and object studies to recent interdisciplinary conferences. What emerges is a new focus on the archaeological site, as those involved in its protection expand conservation from object or material to an integrative practice of concomitant concerns. A selected bibliography is included.