Annual Report of County Archaeology Office 1993/4

As in the past two years most of our efforts have had to be devoted to sites that will be damaged by development,both monitoring planning applications and carrying out necessary field work. This work is entirely funded by developers, and contracts have to be won by our Field Unit in open competition. A similar number of sites are excavated by external units, with the majority of work by Cambridge Archaeology Unit and smaller number of sites investigated by units from Oxford and Birmingham.

At the same time the County's other archaeological policies (Sites and Monuments Record, monument protection, education, promotion, research, finds identification, conservation and storage)were pursued as rigorously as resources permitted, with very significant progress being made at last over long term problem of finds storage.

During the year it became clear that the Property Department was not the most suitable base for fast growing Archaeology Section and therefore a move to a new service, Libraries and Heritage was discussed, which took place on the 1st of April 1994.