The standard and guidance for archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings and structures was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 11 September 1996. Revised September 2001.

The Standard
A programme of archaeological building investigation and recording will determine, as far as is reasonably possible, the nature of the archaeological resource associated with a specified building, structure or complex. It will draw on existing records (both archaeological and historical sources) and fieldwork. It will be undertaken using appropriate methods and practices which satisfy the stated aims of the project, and which comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA. The programme will result in the production of drawings, an ordered accessible archive and a report.

Definition of archaeological building investigation and recording
The definition of archaeological building investigation and recording (ABIR) is a programme of work intended to establish the character, history, dating, form and archaeological development of a specified building, structure, or complex and its setting, including buried components, on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater.

Purpose of archaeological building investigation and recording
The purpose of ABIR is to examine a specified building, structure or complex, and its setting, in order to inform:

• the formulation of a strategy for the conservation, alteration, demolition, repair or management of a building, or structure, or complex and its setting or
• to seek a better understanding, compile a lasting record, analyse the findings/record, and then disseminate the results.

Occurrence
ABIR may arise:

• prior to, during and on completion of works of repair, alteration, management or demolition
• as part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national guidance including planning policy guidance and associated legislation and/or development plan policy)
• in a conservation area, where records of buildings, structures or complexes and their setting (PPG 15 para 2.17; see Appendix 6) may assist the local authority to determine the impact of a given proposal on the character of the conservation area as well as assessing individual buildings and structures of importance
• under the provisions of the Ecclesiastical Exemption (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Order 1994 relating to places of worship and their internal systems of control, and such similar provisions in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and the Faculty Jurisdiction System relating to Church of England Churches and arising from the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1991; or the Care of Cathedrals Measure 1990 and Supplementary Provisions 1994
• as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (see 3.1.11 below)
• as the basis for, or in conjunction with, proposals or specifications for work (eg those of an architect, engineer, builder or chartered
• surveyor) to a building, structure, or complex and its setting
• as part of an agreed strategy in mitigation of damage or loss to a building, structure or complex and its setting, including a process
• of controlled demolition or re-erection
• in conjunction with a programme of archaeological assessment, field evaluation or excavation
• in connection with the preparation of conservation or management plans by private, local, national or international bodies; for example as part of a total facility management scheme in a museum or related context, or where a building is seen to be at risk
• within the context of the interpretation and presentation of the site to the public
• within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource
• within the context of a threat from natural agencies
• as part of a disaster mitigation plan by way of insurance against loss or damage

ABIR may therefore be commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private owners, developers or their agents, archaeological and architectural researchers, etc

The standard and guidance for an archaeological watching brief was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 14 October 1994. Revised September 2001.

The Standard
An archaeological watching brief will record the archaeological resource during development within a specified area using appropriate methods and practices. These will satisfy the stated aims of the project, and comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA.

Definition of an archaeological watching brief
The definition of an archaeological watching brief is a formal programme of observation and investigation conducted during any operation carried out for non-archaeological reasons. This will be within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or
underwater, where there is a possibility that archaeological deposits may be disturbed or destroyed. The programme will result in the preparation of a report and ordered archive. This definition and Standard do not cover chance observations, which should lead to an appropriate archaeological project being designed and implemented, nor do they apply to monitoring for
preservation of remains in situ.

Purpose of a watching brief
The purpose of a watching brief is:

• to allow, within the resources available, the preservation by record of archaeological deposits, the presence and nature of which could not be established (or established with sufficient accuracy) in advance of development or other potentially disruptive works
• to provide an opportunity, if needed, for the watching archaeologist to signal to all interested parties, before the destruction of the material in question, that an archaeological find has been made for which the resources allocated to the watching brief itself are not sufficient to support treatment to a satisfactory and proper standard

A watching brief is not intended to reduce the requirement for excavation or preservation of known or inferred deposits, and it is intended to guide, not replace, any requirement for contingent excavation or preservation of possible deposits.

The objective of a watching brief is to establish and make available information about the archaeological resource existing on a site.

Occurrence
A watching brief may arise:

• in response to a development which threatens the archaeological resource
• as part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national planning policy guidance notes) and/or development plan policy
• as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (see 3.1.4 below)
• outside the planning process (eg ecclesiastical development, coastal erosion, agriculture, forestry and countryside management, works by public utilities and statutory undertakers)

A watching brief may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private landowners, developers or their agents.

Such materials include all archaeologically recovered artefacts, building materials, industrial residues, environmental material, biological remains (including human remains) and decay products, collectively referred to as ‘finds’. Their collection, documentation, conservation and research is hereafter referred to as ‘finds work’.
The standard and guidance for the collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 6 September 2001.

The standard
Collection, documentation, conservation and research of archaeological materials (hereafter finds work) will result in an ordered, stable, accessible archive using appropriate methods and practices. Finds work will result in report(s) intended for dissemination. The methods and practices employed must satisfy the stated aims of any project of which finds work comprises all or part, and comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the Institute of Field Archaeologists.

Definition of finds work
Finds work is defined as the process of retrieving, sorting, cleaning, marking, conserving, recording, analysing, interpreting and
preparing for permanent storage all materials retained as a result of archaeological fieldwork, and disseminating the results. The term ‘finds’ is taken to include all artefacts, building materials, industrial residues, environmental material, biological remains (including human remains) and decay products.

Purpose of finds work
Finds work seeks to provide an understanding of societies and their environments, not only at a site-specific level, but also in a local, regional, national and international context. The results of this work must be documented and should be disseminated in one or more published accounts. Finds work also creates a stable, ordered, well documented, accessible material archive which should act as a resource for current and future research. Finds work contributes to the formulation of conservation, preservation, collection, dispersal, presentation, education and management strategies; also local, regional, national and international research frameworks and policies.

Occurrence of finds work
Finds work may occur

• as part of a programme of field evaluation, excavation, watching brief and building investigation and recording
• as part of a programme of investigation of archaeological materials
• within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource
• within the context of the interpretation and presentation of the finds to the public
• as a result of enquiries by members of the public
• as a result of the continuing curation and care of collections in long-term storage
• as a result of the requirements of planning and heritage legislation

Finds work may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local authorities, archaeological trusts and units, national bodies, government agencies, educational establishments, private owners, members of the public, developers or their agents, or archaeological researchers.

Archeological documentation is a series of actions applied to properties of archeological interest. Documentation of such properties may occur at any or all levels of planning, identification, evaluation or treatment. The nature and level of documentation is dictated by each specific set of circumstances. Archeological documentation consists of activities such as archival research, observation and recording of above-ground remains, and observation (directly, through excavation, or indirectly, through remote sensing) of below-ground remains. Archeological documentation is employed for the purpose of gathering information on individual historic properties or groups of properties. It is guided by a framework of objectives and methods derived from the planning process, and makes use of previous planning decisions, such as those on evaluation of significance. Archeological documentation may be undertaken as an aid to various treatment activities, including research, interpretation, reconstruction, stabilization and data recovery when mitigating archeological losses resulting from construction. Care should be taken to assure that documentation efforts do not duplicate previous efforts.

The standard and guidance for archaeological excavation was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 22 September 1995.

The Standard
An archaeological excavation will examine and record the archaeological resource within a specified area using appropriate methods and practices. These will satisfy the stated aims of the project, and comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA. It will result in one or more published accounts and an ordered, accessible archive.

Definition of excavation
The definition of archaeological excavation is a programme of controlled, intrusive fieldwork with defined research objectives which examines, records and interprets archaeological deposits, features and structures and, as appropriate, retrieves artefacts, ecofacts and other remains within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater. The records made and objects gathered during fieldwork are studied and the results of that study published in detail appropriate to the project design.

Purpose of excavation
The purpose of excavation is to examine the archaeological resource within a given area or site within a framework of defined research objectives, to seek a better understanding of and compile a lasting record of that resource, to analyse and interpret the results, and disseminate them.

Occurrence
Excavation may arise:

• in response to a proposed development which would threaten the archaeological resource
• as part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national planning policy guidance notes) and/or development plan policy
• as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (see 3.1.3 below)
• outside the planning process (eg ecclesiastical development, coastal erosion, agriculture, forestry and countryside management, works by public utilities and statutory undertakers)
• within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource
• in connection with management plans and mitigation strategies by private, local and national or international bodies

Excavation may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private landowners, developers or their agents, archaeological researchers, etc.

The standard and guidance for archaeological field evaluation was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 14 October 1994.

The Standard
An archaeological field evaluation will determine, as far as is reasonably possible, the nature of the archaeological resource within a specified area using appropriate methods and practices. These will satisfy the stated aims of the project, and comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA.

Definition of field evaluation
The definition of archaeological field evaluation is a limited programme of non-intrusive and/or intrusive fieldwork which determines the presence or absence of archaeological features, structures, deposits, artefacts or ecofacts within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater. If such archaeological remains are present field evaluation defines their character, extent, quality and preservation, and enables an assessment of their worth in a local, regional, national or international context as appropriate.

Purpose of field evaluation
The purpose of field evaluation is to gain information about the archaeological resource within a given area or site (including its presence or absence, character, extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and quality), in order to make an assessment of its merit in the appropriate context, leading to one or more of the following:

• the formulation of a strategy to ensure the recording, preservation or management of the resource
• the formulation of a strategy to mitigate a threat to the archaeological resource
• the formulation of a proposal for further archaeological investigation within a programme of research

Occurrence
A field evaluation may arise:

• in response to a proposed development which threatens the archaeological resource
• as part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national planning policy guidance notes and/or development plan policy)
• as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (see 3.1.7 below)
• outside the planning process (eg ecclesiastical development, coastal erosion, agriculture, forestry and countryside management, works by public utilities and statutory undertakers)
• within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource
• in connection with the preparation of management plans by private, local or national and international bodies

An archaeological field evaluation may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private landowners, developers or their agents, archaeological researchers, etc.

The standard and guidance for archaeological desk-based assessment was formally adopted as IFA approved practice at the Annual General Meeting of the Institute held on 14 October 1994.

The Standard
A desk-based assessment will determine, as far as is reasonably possible from existing records, the nature of the archaeological resource within a specified area. It will be undertaken using appropriate methods and practices which satisfy the stated aims of the project, and which comply with the Code of conduct, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, and other relevant by-laws of the IFA.

Definition of desk-based assessment
The definition of desk-based assessment is a programme of assessment of the known or potential archaeological resource within a specified area or site on land, inter-tidal zone or underwater. It consists of a collation of existing written, graphic, photographic and electronic information in order to identify the likely character, extent, quality and worth of the known or potential archaeological resource in a local, regional, national or international context as appropriate.

Purpose of desk-based assessment
The purpose of desk-based assessments is to gain information about the known or potential archaeological resource within a given area or site (including the presence or absence, character and extent, date, integrity, state of preservation and relative quality of the potential archaeological resource), in order to make an assessment of its merit in context, leading to one or more of the following:

• the formulation of a strategy to ensure the recording, preservation or management of the resource
• the formulation of a strategy for further investigation, whether or not intrusive, where the character and value of the resource is not sufficiently defined to permit a mitigation strategy or other response to be devised
• the formulation of a proposal for further archaeological investigation within a programme of research

Occurrence
Desk-based assessment arise:

• in response to a proposed development which threatens the archaeological resource
• as part of the planning process (within the framework of appropriate national planning policy guidance notes) and/or development plan policy
• as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) (see 3.1.7 below)
• outside the planning process (eg ecclesiastical development, coastal erosion, agriculture, forestry and countryside management, works by public utilities and statutory undertakers)
• within a programme of research not generated by a specific threat to the archaeological resource
• in connection with the preparation of management plans by private, local, national or international bodies

Desk-based assessment may therefore be instigated or commissioned by a number of different individuals or organisations, including local planning authorities, national advisory bodies, government agencies, private landowners, developers or their agents, archaeological researchers etc.