Test excavation and salvage, run to the permit.
When a survey points to buried material, or a place cannot be avoided, the plan or permit may call for test excavation or salvage. We provide the field team, equipment and records to deliver it safely and on time.
Field teams sized to the job.
We set out test pits and trenches as the method requires, and coordinate plant, sieving and spoil management with your site team.
- Test pit and trench excavation to the approved method
- Surface collection and salvage of artefacts
- Sieving, bagging, labelling and temporary storage
- Coordination with Traditional Owners on the care of salvaged material
Records that meet the permit conditions.
Field records are complete enough for the archaeologist of record to report on and for the agency to audit.
- Excavation unit plans, sections and depth records
- Artefact registers and bag labels
- Photographs and GPS locations
- Daily progress and spoil management notes
How pricing works
Quotes are itemised by day rate, travel, vehicle and equipment, and reporting. Equipment hire and specialist analysis are listed separately.
Send the site location, the work program, your preferred dates and any approval or agreement conditions. We confirm scope, availability and price before work is booked.
Working with Traditional Owners
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage belongs to the people whose Country it is. Where a cultural heritage agreement, management plan or permit names the Aboriginal party, Registered Aboriginal Party or Native Title group for the area, we work alongside their representatives and follow their direction on cultural matters. Their cultural advice, and the decisions that come from it, are theirs.
Qualifications
Each task is carried out by personnel holding the qualifications it requires in that state, such as a degree in archaeology or a recognised heritage advisor role where the law asks for one. Details are supplied with the quote or before mobilisation on request.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides what happens to salvaged material?
The Traditional Owners, within the law and the conditions of the permit or plan. We follow their direction on storage, return and reburial.
Can you work under another archaeologist's permit?
Yes. We regularly support the archaeologist of record with field teams and recording.
Do you bring your own equipment?
Yes. Sieves, hand tools, survey gear and recording equipment are supplied. Plant is usually provided by the site.