Generic brief for an archaeological watching brief or small-scale investigation

Archiving requirements within Buckinghamshire are dependant on the results of an investigation. The following guide is for reference only, please discuss final deposition requirements with BCAS and the Discover Bucks Museum.

• Totally negative/sterile sites (no archaeological features, deposits or artefacts) – report uploaded to OASIS
• Artefactual negative sites but with archaeological features/deposits – case by case, but in general this will be limited to the digital archive being deposited with ADS
• Archaeological site with artefactual evidence – physical archive to be deposited with the Discover Bucks Museum, digital with ADS

The WSI should include a reference to the contractor’s Selection Strategy, however there should be no final decision on retention until the fieldwork is complete. The final selection criteria should be agreed in writing between the contractor, BCAS and the Discover Bucks Museum prior to the submission of the archive.

The archaeological contractor should endeavour to ensure that the site archive (including any artefacts recovered) are deposited in an acceptable condition with a museum which is registered with the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and approved for the storage of archaeological archives. The digital archive should be deposited with an accredited digital Core Trust Seal digital repository. The contractor should be aware that there will be costs associated with archiving, and ensure funds are available for the final deposition of the archaeological archives.

The preferred repository for the physical archive in Buckinghamshire is the Discover Bucks Museum, who should be contacted for an accession number at the earliest opportunity. The procedures and requirements which must be followed for the deposit of archaeological archives with Buckinghamshire County Museum are documented in the Museum's Procedures for Notifying and Transferring Archaeological Archives (BCM, 2013), available from the Curator (address below). A storage grant should be provided to the museum in accordance with their requirements.

Digital Archives should be deposited with a Core Trust Seal accredited organisation, The preferred repository for the digital archive in Buckinghamshire is the Archaeology Data Service. The guidelines for depositing with the ADS can be found on their website. The archaeological contractor should provide details of their Digital Management Plan within the report.

The archaeological contractor should agree Transfer of Ownership with the legal landowner at the earliest opportunity. In the event of the legal owner(s) resolving to retain all or part of the site archive, it is necessary that the archaeological contractor make them aware that they shall be responsible for the future preservation and maintenance of any material element of that archive. The part of the site archive in question shall be transferred to the legal owner only after the following stages have been completed and:

• all necessary processing, research, analysis and investigation
• a full inventory of all elements of the archive to be returned to the landowner, complete with photographs
• all necessary stabilising, conservation and packing necessary to prepare the archive for preservation and in a usable, accessible form
• the provision of a final approved report for submission to the HER and/or publication
• the owner has demonstrated that all necessary provision is made for the long-term preservation of the archive in a satisfactory environment, and that it is accessible for future research

The final archaeological archive should be deposited within 24 months of completion of fieldwork, unless otherwise agreed with the Council Archaeology Service.