ABSTRACT
In 2010, a significant change was made to the policy for development-led archaeology in England. This paper considers how far the revised policy wording has been reflected in changes in archaeological practice. It concludes that, to a considerable degree, practice remains rooted in the terminology and concepts of the previous policy regime, which saw development-led work as ‘mitigation’ (or ‘preservation by record’) rather than as a form of offsetting, in which advances in understanding offset the loss of physical remains. Some suggestions for future improvements are offered.
