Editorial

Abstract

Before 1985, `state' archaeology in Britain was attached to the Civil Service via the Department of the Environment and the regional Offices (Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish), and Inspectors of Ancient Monuments and support staff provided a specialist group for Archaeology and Historic Buildings. Since the formation of English Heritage, Historic Scotland and Cadw, there have been massive structural changes in the way that the `heritage' has been organized, funded, and how specialist staff have been deployed. [...]two very different communities have come together, and much must be done to integrate them successfully into a new type of organization. For many years this has been the home of what was once called the `Central Unit', then the `Central Archaeological Services' - a roving and highly effective specialist archaeological unit which has provided the practical means for English Heritage to exercise its statutory duties in rescue work, research excavation, evaluations and post-excavation. The aspirations of the excavator of Iron Age Daneburyy hillfort in Wessex towards an extensive sample have also raised similar questions in recent decades.