Beyond the shovel and the sieve: achieving better outcomes for Aboriginal people in commercial archaeology

ABSTRACT Heritage consultants engaged in development driven archaeology are typically less able than their academic counterparts to negotiate the terms of collaborative consultation with Aboriginal people. Legislation, intellectual property rights, budget and project scope all restrict the ability to achieve project goals beyond the ‘shovel, sieve and report’ formula prescribed by the heritage contract. This article asks how commercial archaeologists engaged as cultural heritage managers and consultants can create pathways to better outcomes for Aboriginal people through identifying opportunities to close the gap in social inequality.