Archaeological Ethics

Professional archaeologists live by codes of responsibility or ethics that guide all their professional activities. Professional archaeologists are expected to do the following:

• Promote the stewardship of archaeological remains for the interests of the entire community
• Interact with all groups affected by their research
• Avoid the commercialization of archaeological objects/remains
• Never conduct research without appropriate training, experience and facilities
• Publish their discoveries in forms accessible and understandable by both the scientific and public community
• Educate the public about archaeological research, findings and interpretations in order to enhance their understanding of the human past
• Curate collections, records and reports in a protected repository for future generations and make them accessible to other professional archaeologists for comparative research