WHAT IS AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSULTANT?

An archaeological consultant is someone who provides information about historical and cultural artifacts to a client. When developing, reconstructing, or building in a particular area, you hire an archaeological consultant beforehand.

As we all know, proof of history is a part of our livelihood. There are rules set in place by the law to safeguard, preserve and maintain anything of historical importance. It could be bones, artifacts, the land itself, and a lot more. These laws prevent companies from developing on land that could have archaeological importance.

To safeguard your asset, you need the green light. One only an archaeological consultant can get. By bringing one in, you've protected yourself. It's a win-win. You find out whether there is something valuable within the region and protect yourself from unnecessary costs. Without one, you're at risk. For example, you've developed land without having consulting. If the government finds out, you disrupted/neglected something of importance. You'd pay fines far more expensive than just getting an archaeological consultant to search the area for you.

A consultant usually works on a contractual basis for commercial or consumer clients. The client asks the consultant for information about a particular geographical area. Then the consultant does research and produces a comprehensive report. If any valuable/historical artifacts are found, they get them safely removed and preserved.

Archaeological consultants achieve this by conducting field research and reviewing historical documents. It helps to find information about any settlements that may be in an area. Field research entails taking soil samples, testing the samples for traces of ceramic and other materials. It would serve as evidence that civilizations existed in that region.

They do not only focus on man-made artifacts, but they could also be animal or plant matter. A way of tracing this is by testing ground samples. The matter discovered may be of interest to history or science and is paid attention to.

To answer your question, an archaeological consultant is a person who assesses land. They handle the researching and documenting of stories about humans in the past by studying the material remains. A person who works as one participates in the development of land. They preserve the past and create a better future.