They must obtain a permit and conduct work in accordance with the law. Special rules and standards must be met to obtain such a permit. The process of excavation physically destroys a site. Detailed records, therefore, are kept of any archaeological research project. The records are extremely important and must provide a thorough history of the investigations.
Scientific excavation involves more than the recovery of buried artifacts.
Of more importance than the artifacts themselves is their association or context . These terms refer to the artifacts' location or placement in relation to other nearby signs of human activities such as living structures, burials, storage pits, hearths, or work areas. These are the relationships which yield the real treasure, the story of past lifeways. Once excavation is completed, all of the artifacts are cleaned, labeled, inventoried, cataloged, and conserved or treated in order to preserve them. This process takes a much larger investment of time and effort than excavation.