Page 392 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 14: Cultural Resource Management 371
requirements. It is often observed that archaeological needs are disregarded by management; and, conversely, archaeological process ignores manage- ment issues and the protection of sites. The management plan needs to be a multidisciplined program involving cultural resource management (CRM) and archaeological research. In devising a CRM plan, it is useful to adopt a step-by-step approach:
1. Identification of the issues
2. Identification of the resource
3. Identification of the interest groups
4. Establishment of the infrastructure (the organization and equipment)
5. Locate sites
6. Develop plans and implement these plans to manage sites
7. Educate to create attitudes that understand the need for protection
of sites
8. Training
9. Publication
Planning an archaeological research program involves devising strate- gies and allocating resources for fieldwork and scientific work related to the sites including:
1. Geophysical survey to determine the extent of the area that is to be managed
2. Location of archaeological sites
3. Predisturbance recording of the sites
4. Archaeological investigation and excavation of the sites
5. Education, which is the process of communicating the archaeological
information to as wide a group as possible including the general public, divers, local people, the tourist industry, and professionals
III. CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Cultural resource management implies a system where a resource is pro- tected and preserved for the future. There is some confusion that CRM actually means that sites should not be disturbed as this is the only way to effectively preserve them. This argument has been used on a number of occasions, particularly in cases where the administrative structure is either underfunded or is unfamiliar with archaeological techniques. A pragmatic approach to CRM is a mix of in situ preservation and archaeological exca- vation. The CRM should uphold a philosophy which maintains that the sites, and the material in the sites, be made available for the public. It would be the responsibility of the managers to ensure that this process does not result in loss of material or deterioration of sites.