BMAPA Protocol for Reporting Finds of Archaeological Interest

English Heritage ALSF Summaries. 2005/2006

The British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA) and English Heritage (EH) have introduced a Protocol for reporting finds of archaeological interest that will apply to all BMAPA members. BMAPA proposed, accepted by EH, that an Implementation Service be established, which Wessex Archaeology (WA) has designed as is operating. Further to the Implementation Service, EH has contracted WA to develop measures to raise awareness of the Protocol and to encourage its use, with the support of the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF). These measures include:
• Visits to aggregate wharves and vessels to raise awareness of the Protocol.
• A DVD to support the site visit programme and provide information to wharves and vessels where visits were not possible.
• Workshops for Nominated Contacts and other Company staff on the recognition of finds and their potential importance.
• A website detailing finds and reports made under the Protocol.
• A published annual report.
• An annual seminar for Nominated Contacts and other Company staff.
• A pilot of a newsletter to support the Implementation Service and disseminate information on finds to wharves and the wider community.
This project directly addresses EH ALSF Objective 2: promoting environmentally friendly extraction and transport. Specifically, this project addresses:
• marine historic environment: baseline information and characterisation of the resource; techniques of prediction and evaluation; mitigation strategies; training, awareness and information exchange.
Protocols for reporting archaeological finds in the course of dredging are one of the mitigation measures developed in the course of individual Environmental Statements, and endorsed in the Marine Aggregate Dredging and the Historic Environment: Guidance Note (BMAPA and English Heritage 2003). Protocols emerged as a mitigation option as it became apparent that watching-briefs by archaeologists either on board or at wharves were likely to prove ineffective because of the scale and character of the dredging process.

The Protocol provides for finds being made by members of staff employed by aggregate dredging companies (‘Companies’) on the seabed, on board dredging vessels, and at wharves. The aim of the Protocol Awareness Programme is to raise awareness of the BMAPA/EH Protocol among aggregate industry staff, and to encourage its use.

The Objectives of the Protocol Awareness Programme are as follows:
O1 To ensure, as far as possible, that all staff involved in the marine aggregate industry are aware of the existence of the Protocol, and of how it is to be applied.
O2 To improve industry staff’s ability to distinguish material of potential archaeological interest, and to handle, record and store such material appropriately.
O3 To better understand the operational circumstances of marine aggregate dredging, with a view to informing the further development of the Protocol and its implementation.
O4 To publicly acknowledge the contribution made by industry staff to our knowledge and understanding of the historic environment.
O5 To maintain dialogue with stakeholders (industry; regulators; curators; consultants; contractors) about the Protocol.
O6 To increase public awareness of the marine historic environment and the role of the marine aggregates industry in its management.

This page will be published on 17/09/2007