Abstract
Since taking off as an industry in Sweden in the 1980s, contract archaeology has changed not only the role of field archaeologists but also that of museums and the formation of collections. This paper discusses some of the effects of the commercialization of archaeological services through a case study of past and present collection practices. Data records are compared from three different archaeological investigations at the site Nya Lödöse (1473-1621) in Gothenburg. Each excavation represents a particular era in archaeological practice. The data are used to compare and analyse collecting practices within contemporary contract archaeology. Separately, a survey among contract archaeology units examines the implementation of legislative guidelines and day-to-day practices and suggests several causes for anomalies in the selection and discarding of finds in the case study. Combined, the findings of the case study and the survey results, suggest that contract archaeology leaves a specific imprint on collections in archaeological museums, impacting their compilation, and therefore influencing future research as well as the experience of the public.
Highlights
The Swedish system of contract archaeology is organized and controlled by regional authorities under the direction of national guidelines
While con tract archaeology in Sweden is controlled by state agencies, it relies on a public tender system, and an estimated 90 per cent of all archaeological work in Sweden is undertaken as commercial contract archaeology or devel oper-led excavations (Riksantikvarieämbetet 2017a)
Investigative archaeology in Sweden is required to be research-based, which means it must have the objective of producing new knowledge of relevance to the research community while mediating relevant knowledge to the wider public
Summary
The Swedish system of contract archaeology is organized and controlled by regional authorities under the direction of national guidelines. Despite a long tradition of devel opment-led archaeology, before the 1990s archaeology as a matter of public service was mainly a state-governed affair, with fieldwork undertaken either by archaeological units (Undersökningsverksamhet, UV) of the Swedish Na tional Heritage Board (SNHB, or Riksantikvarieämbetet, RAÄ) or by units of county and city museums. A 1992 state investigation brought a change: in order to increase cost-efficiency, a tender-based system for archaeological fieldwork was proposed, and developers assumed responsibility for all costs relating to the conservation of finds selected for preservation in the develop ment process (SOU 1992:137; SOU 2005:80). The CAB decides on extent and cost of the con tract archaeology project, as well as bearing responsibility for supervising the execution of fieldwork, the selection and preservation of finds and the quality of the archaeological report. The WSI – containing a method statement, risk assessment and a finds strategy (a strategy for selecting and/or discarding of finds) according to best practice as formulated on ARCHES (https://archaeologydataservice. ac.uk/) – functions as a basis for decision-making for the CAB, controlling the tendering process and the ultimate choice of contract archaeology firms
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