A legal agreement A consultant hired to provide expert advice on the impact of public and private development on cultural resources, or to help mitigate what has already occurred, is known as an archaeologist. Before governments approve development projects, these consultants are hired to conduct an impact assessment, and they are frequently retained to monitor and manage the project’s impact on the archaeological site. Cultural resources management (CRM), public archaeology, and rescue archaeology are all terms used to describe this type of applied archaeology.
An archaeologist is someone who finds and studies the material remains of past civilizations, according to the traditional job description. Most people assume that an archaeologist spends his time digging in remote locations, discovering buried treasures, and writing academic papers about his discoveries. Many people believe that archaeologists should spend their time studying artifacts found by others in the field and teaching.
In addition to traditional job requirements, there is a growing field of archaeological consulting that employs experts in the field to protect cultural resources from the negative effects of surrounding development and to manage or restore threatened or damaged resources. Many countries rely on their historically significant cultural sites to attract visitors. Allowing businesses and government agencies to move forward with development projects near these resources without first determining the project’s likely impact can result in irreversible damage.
Governments frequently require a professional impact assessment before approving development projects near cultural resources, much like they usually require an environmental impact study before approving a project that will have an impact on natural resources. A contract archaeologist is a professional who is hired to assess the potential impact of development before it is approved, provide ongoing support while the project is underway, and, in some cases, determine the extent of cultural resource damage if something goes wrong. Consultants can also be enlisted to assess the damage to cultural resources caused by factors other than development, such as climate change or a natural disaster, and to devise a preservation and recovery strategy.
A contract archaeologist can work for a profit or for a charitable organization. Many colleges and museums provide contract archaeologist services in order to generate revenue. Individual consultants work for profit on their own or as part of a firm. CRM divisions of some large corporations manage cultural resources on a contract basis and employ archaeologists to do so.