Below is a collection of guides and resources relating to archaeological best practice, published by external organisations. This is not an exhaustive list, and will be added to periodically
Standards and Guidelines
Regulations, Standards and Guidance, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists [Visit archaeologists.net]
Standards for Field Archaeology in the East of England, by David Gurney, East Anglian Archaeology (2003) [Visit eaareports.org.uk]
Guides to Good Practice, Archaeological Data Service [Visit archaeologydataservice.ac.uk]
Introduction to Standards and Guidance in Archaeological Practice, Council for British Archaeology [Visit isgap.org.uk]
Standard requirements for Contractors, Suffolk County Council (2023) [Visit suffolk.gov.uk and scroll to "Advice for Contractors" section for PDFs covering Geophysical Survey, Palaeoenvironmental assessments, Trenched evaluations, Archaeological Excavation, Excavating inhumations for mineral preserved organics].
Practical Guides
BAJR Guides, British Archaeological Jobs Resource [Visit bajr.org]
Finds Recording Guides, Portable Antiquities Scheme [Visit finds.org.uk]
Local Societies Guidance, West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service [Visit wyjs.org]
Guidelines for the Use of Geophysics in Archaeology, Historic England (2016) [Visit historicengland.org.uk]
How to Excavate and Archaeological Test Pit, Handbook Guide, Suffolk County Council (2013) [Visit hoxnehistory.org.uk (PDF)]
Various Step-by-step guides, JIGSAW Cambridgeshire
- Archaeological Techniques
- Artefact Identification Guides
- Recording and Reporting Guides (includes QGIS)
Technical Reference Documents, Community Landscape Archaeology Survey Project [Visit claspweb.org.uk]
What is fieldwalking, Cambridge Archaeology Field Group (2012) [Visit cafg.net (PDF)]
Advice and Research
East of England Research Framework (2021) [Visit researchframeworks.org]
Archaeological Archives in Suffolk Guidelines for Preparation and Deposition, Suffolk County Council, (2022) [Visit suffolk.org.uk (PDF)]
Various Publications, Historic England
- Archaeological and Historic Pottery Production Sites (2015)
- Archaeological Evidence for Glass Working, Historic England (2018)
- Archaeometallurgy, Historic England, (2015)
- Animal Bones and Archaeology – Recovery to archive, Handbooks for Archaeology, Historic England (2019)
- Environmental Archaeology: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Methods, from Sampling and Recovery to Post-Excavation, English Heritage (2011)
- Geoarchaeology: Using earth sciences to understand the archaeological record, Historic England, (2015)
- Guidelines on the Xradiography of archaeological metalwork, English Heritage, (2006)
- Understanding Historic Buildings, Historic England (2016)
- Understanding the Archaeology of Landscapes, Historic England (2017)
- Waterlogged Wood, English Heritage (2010)
