ABSTRACT
Whenever development is likely to disturb or remove known or presumed archaeological remains it is important that arrangements are in place to deal with any problems that may arise. These can occur for a variety of reasons depending on and including what is discovered, the siting and importance of any remains, publicity, the need to investigate further and the effects of the weather on excavation. We cannot fully anticipate every eventuality but a mechanism needs to be found which is capable of tackling problems expeditiously, in a socially acceptable manner and with the minimum of disruption to development. This is where contracts become desirable although the matter is far from simple.
