Drawing its numerous examples from Britain and beyond, Archaeological
Investigation explores the procedures used in field archaeology
travelling over the whole process from discovery to publication.
Divided into four parts, it argues for a set of principles in part one,
describes work in the field in part two and how to write up in part
three. Part four describes the modern world in which all types of
archaeologist operate, academic and professional. The central chapter
'Projects Galore' takes the reader on a whirlwind tour through different
kinds of investigation including in caves, gravel quarries, towns,
historic buildings and underwater.
Archaeological Investigation intends to be a companion for a newcomer
to professional archaeology - from a student introduction (part one), to
first practical work (part two) to the first responsibilities for
producing reports (part three) and, in part four, to the tasks of
project design and heritage curation that provide the meat and drink of
the fully fledged professional.
The book also proposes new ways of doing things, tried out over the
author's thirty years in the field and brought together here for the
first time. This is no plodding manual but an inspiring, provocative,
informative and entertaining book, urging that archaeological
investigation is one of the most important things society does.
