ABSTRACT
We normally think of conservation as work dealing with the preservation of natural resources, but in fact the cultural world has suffered just as much as the natural world and it is just as much in need of assistance. The places archaeologists excavate and the artifacts uncovered are our heritage, and they are also our responsibility in that they are the heritage of all mankind. It is a relatively new concept that archaeologists should act as the guardians of that heritage rather than just users and interpreters. The work of the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Jordan highlights some of the issues that arise when archaeologists focus on what happens after the excavation.
