In October 1994, the first gazetteer of archaeological assessments and field evaluations was published (issued as Supplement 1 to British Archaeological Bibliography). It covered the period 1982-91 but was limited in its scope to various kinds of assessment programme. Since the summer of 1995, work has been progressing with a far more ambitious scheme which will document archaeological interventions in England during the period 1990 to 1994. In addition to the range of desk-based assessments, field evaluations, and environmental assessment programmes covered by the previous study, the present work includes post-determination interventions and non-development research work. By the late spring of 1996, information about some 4,500 interventions had been collected.
The sources used in compiling the gazetteer include local authority sites and monuments records, archaeological contractors, consultants, university departments, and local archaeological groups and societies. Individuals or organisations who have not been contacted are invited to complete a recording sheet which in due course will become the standard base-line record of archaeological interventions from which an annual digest of work can be quickly and easily compiles for rapid publication. Information about the number of planning applications with archaeological implications is also being gathered as part of the Project in order to help monitor the role of archaeology in the planning system. Further details of the Archaeological Investigations Project can be found on the World Wide Web at http://csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/consci/text_aip/aipintro.htm
