Process and Realisation of Archaeological Research

Abstract

This chapter is a personal reflection on archaeological practice in Ireland and Slovakia. It examines the process of archaeological research in eight elementary steps. These steps are as follows legislation, planning, survey, excavation, documentation, analysis, interpretation and publication. All eight steps are an integral part of archaeological research. All of these are consistent and become consecutive phases of research. If only one step is omitted, archaeological research becomes devalued and sometimes almost worthless. This chapter focuses directly on a comparison of the Slovakian and Irish systems of archaeological protection and management, theory and practice, quality assurance and institutional cooperation. It aims to show that archaeologists are not only diggers, but creators of archaeological knowledge. This model of archaeological research will endeavour to find a common interest between development-led and academic archaeology, which is a very important task in the twenty-first century (Fig. 15.1).