Clients can get information about historical and cultural artifacts from archaeology consultants. Many countries have laws prohibiting companies from developing land that may contain archaeologically significant items. As a result, many construction companies and energy companies hire archaeology consultants to see if any such artifacts are present in areas that will be redeveloped or cleared to make way for oil pipelines or new construction.
Consultants typically work for commercial or consumer clients on a contract basis. When a client requests information about a specific area or region, the consultant conducts research before preparing a comprehensive report. Consultants look through historical documents such as censuses for information on possible settlements in the area. If artifacts have previously been discovered in a specific area, the consultants inform their clients about those items and prepare a report that details the other types of artifacts that could be discovered in the general area.
Archaeology consultants conduct field research in addition to reviewing historical data. This frequently entails taking soil samples and testing them for traces of metal, ceramic, and other materials that could indicate the presence of previous civilizations in the area. Apart from man-made artifacts, archaeology consultants can test ground samples for animal or plant matter that could be of historical or scientific interest. Seismic projections are used by some researchers to detect buried artifacts, while sonar or other technology is used by others to locate items that may be found in bodies of water.
Many countries have laws prohibiting businesses from disturbing burial sites and other religious sites. In other cases, developers can build on historically significant areas if scientists carefully remove any bones, pottery, or other items that researchers might find interesting. Consultants in archaeology assist companies in locating and retrieving such artifacts. Fines and penalties are frequently imposed on companies that damage archaeological sites illegally; the cost of hiring a consultant is usually much less than the cost of paying such a fine.
Over time, certain types of animal and plant matter decompose and produce substances like crude oil or natural gas. Energy companies frequently hire archaeology consultants who are familiar with prehistoric sites to help them identify areas where these energy resources might be found. Before beginning wholesale production work, energy companies dig exploratory wells to verify the accuracy of the consultant’s findings.