3 Ways You Can Help an Archeologist Help Your Construction Site
Posted on: 22 August 2017
If you need to work with an archaeologist it can be hard to know exactly how to support them as you work, especially if you are not familiar with archaeology and archaeologist work practises. Here are some tips to help support archaeology in your work space.
Understand their needs
There is a lot of difference between types of archeology jobs. Some are more sensitive to noise and vibration, whilst others will be sensitive to dust and contaminants. Some projects may even vary and have different sensitivities at different types of the job. Understanding the job with a pre-dig briefing can be invaluable as it can help you schedule work around the dig site and reduce frustration both on the part of the construction crew and the archaeologist team if they understand each others needs.
Offer the archaeologists some relief from the hot weather
While archaeology is a highly technical science it is also quite a physical task, especially when the workers are trying to excavate a site in the hot Australian climate. Be sure to ask them if they need shade, cool water or a space to rest. In some cases, they may also use portable air conditioners to keep people comfortable during the dig and may need some support in terms of power points or generators. In most cases the archaeology team will be experienced and can give you a list of requirements at the start of the job, so that you can help them as they proceed.
Debrief after the archaeologists have finished on your site
Make sure to make a time for the archaeologists to explain what they have found when they have finished on site. Their job can be a little impersonal and they often enjoy sharing their journey with the construction team, and the construction crews also often love to here about what they have been supporting on site and what the archaeologists have discovered so far. By offering a debrief and a chance to ask questions you can improve communication on both sides and hopefully make future jobs much easier for everyone.
If you are in charge of coordinating archaeologists on your construction site it can be useful to set up some formal lines of communication to help them settle in, but it´s also great to have some informal communication paths to maximise communications between all areas who are on site at any time
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