Project Management for Archaeology

Archaeology, as a scientific endeavor implies the generation of knowledge, more specifically knowledge obtained through the observation of human material culture in a historical (or pre-historical) context. To that end, archaeologists follow a strict methodology in which they elaborate a research proposal where the specialist explains not only his research hypothesis in a coherent theoretical background but also how he plans to execute said research along with the manner in which he plans to process all the data and observation obtained during said research. While conventional research plans are highly detailed, they are often focused on the posited end of what the research is expected to yield. While theoretical and abstract works are real challenges by themselves, the logistical aspect of any research program can be a daunting task to the inexperienced archaeologist. Many mistakes are made due to work overload and organizational problems that could very easily been have avoided with a careful planning and structure. This book will address that problem by focusing on the administrative and bureaucratic tasks involved in conducting archaeological research. Usually ignored or regarded as a non-archaeological task, project management is intrinsic to archaeology´s every day work, hence the need to develop tools that may help optimize the effort of this science.