Preservation of archaeological sites must be a primary and major part of any classroom instruction on archaeology. When an archaeologist excavates a site, very often the artifacts recovered are one of the least interesting outcomes of the excavation. All archaeological excavations start with a question. This question determines the research strategy - how the site is excavated and what type of information will be recorded. Archaeologists usually don't have much money, and need to work efficiently to get the answers to their questions as efficiently as possible.
Archaeologists look at stratigraphy - the layers of soils and deposits in a site.
These may tell us about sequences of events or cultures. Archaeologists look for evidence of trade and contact between different groups of people. For example, an excavation in downtown Victoria or Prince Rupert could look for early industrial activity. An excavation in rural Langley could look for evidence of Chinese merchants organizing horse and mule trains for the Cariboo wagon road. An excavation in the Kettle Valley could examine the living conditions of people who built the Kettle Valley railroad.