An engineering approach for the design of archaeological reburial systems

Archaeological sites are a non-renewable resource which is often our only link to the past. However, sites are under constant threat of destruction due to construction activities. Civil engineers and archaeologists must the work together to ensure both the continued survival of archaeological sites while allowing for development to continue.;Reburial systems, when properly designed and constructed, allow for the protection of archaeological sites while allowing the continued use of the land. However, because reburial as an intentional conservation technique is relatively modern, practice is fragmented and there are no universally accepted guidelines.;Current reburial system design relies on prescriptive guidelines scattered through the literature, and is often undertaken on a site by site basis. Because of this approach, reburial systems can often have ineffective or counter-effective performance.;A quantifiable design process which takes into account the archaeological preservation needs and the engineering demands placed on a site is necessary to standardize reburial system design. A set of guidelines for design is presented in this document.