number of formalized approaches to producing a project

design. The most common in use in the United Kingdom

is English Heritage’s Management of Research Projects in

the Historic Environment(MoRPHE) (English Heritage,

2006b).

The project design should start with a ‘desk-based

assessment’. This is a study aimed at establishing the cur-

rent archaeological knowledge for a site or area that is to

be investigated. It should establish, as far as possible, the

character, extent, date, integrity and relative quality of

the archaeological resource. It should also make an assess-

ment of on-site environmental conditions. These will be

important for the planning and safe management of field

operations and will influence a site’s preservation. The desk-

based assessment should assemble, collate and synthesize

all available data, consider its relative importance and com-

ment on its reliability. Ultimately it will form the basis of

a full project design.

In the case of major archaeological projects it may be

necessary to undertake a number of surveys or limited exca-

vation projects. These are termed evaluations and aim to

increase knowledge and enable sufficient planning. Evalu-

ations are archaeological projects in their own right and

should be approached in the same way as a major project.

The project design should detail the following issues.

Background: This should clarify the area to be invest-

igated and should consist of an area defined by geographic

co-ordinates and shown as a polygon (usually a rectangle)

on a map. The age of the site should be stated along with

the nature of any archaeological deposits known to be

present on the site.

T

he process of archaeological investigation is a col-

lection of relatively simple tasks that can only be

efficiently and safely undertaken if they are ade-

quately resourced and carried out in the correct order, with

appropriate use of specialist knowledge. With the ultimate

aim of publicizing results (see chapter 20), any project

that involves archaeology must ensure that staff, resources

and specialist knowledge are in place at the right time. This

requires efficient and effective project planning.

THE PROJECT DESIGN

Any project should start with a project design. This is a

document that details how the major parts of the project

will work together to try to address either the central

research questions that the project aims to answer or the

way in which the site is to be recorded to mitigate its

destruction.

A project design should detail the aims of the project,

the objectives required to achieve these aims and make

an assessment of the human, material and financial

resources required to support these operations, including

any particular specialist facilities and expertise. It should

also cover health and safety issues and contain a thorough

risk assessment of the work to be undertaken. If any

diving is to take place, a dedicated diving project plan

must be prepared (see chapter 6).

As well as providing a key project-planning tool, a

thorough project design is likely to be a prerequisite for

any application for funding or permission to work on a

site that is protected by heritage legislation. There are a

5 Project Planning

Underwater Archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice Second Edition Edited by Amanda Bowens
© 2009 Nautical Archaeological Society ISBN: 978-1-405-17592-0