The CAA undertakes independent research and produces policy papers on behalf of its partner institutions. The Centre also has several Research Associates, experts and post-graduate students at the Institute of Archaeology or its partner insitutions. The main CAA research topics currently include:

• Archaeology in Conflict and Post-Conflict States
• Management of World Heritage Sites
• Cultural Heritage Management in the Developing World
• Ethical standards in Archaeology and Heritage Management
• Education & Community Archaeology
• Academic and Professional Excellence in Commercial Practice
• Urban Archaeology and Development
• The Archaeology of South-East England
• Artefact Conservation, Building Conservation
• Earthen Architecture
• Historic Landscape Characterisation
• Field Archaeological Techniques

The Politics and Practice of Archaeology in Conflict

Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, Vol. 11 Nos 3–4, 2009, 197–213
Dominic Perring and Sjoerd van der Linde

This volume of Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites presents a short selection of papers from a conference on 'Archaeology in Conflict' that was held at University College London in November 2006.

This introductory paper reviews recent writings on archaeology and conflict, setting the other contributions to this volume into context. The papers in this volume draw attention to the political nature of archaeological work, and to the problems of reconciling professional interest in the protection and management of cultural property with needs of communities affected by war. The authors focus on two areas of current concern — the ethical and moral dimension to professional conduct, and the need to reconcile post-processual critiques of practice with the need to draw on empirical science in the competent conduct of work — finding middle ground in both areas of debate. The authors also conclude that heritage management and archaeological practice have an important contribution to make in the rehabilitation of war-torn societies, but that the top-down approaches that are most widely favoured can fail to meet the needs of local communities. Best archaeological practice should build from an understanding of local socio-political and cultural power structures, draw on assessments of need, and build upon a notion of heritage that moves beyond the purely materialistic. The concept of heritage as 'care' is perhaps more important to our work than that of 'curation'.

The International Management of Marine Aggregates and its Relation to Maritime Archaeology

The Historic Environment, Vol. 1 No. 2, November, 2010, 160–84
Joe Flatman and James Doeser

This article compares the marine element of the UK Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) historic environment programme with other international management policies relating to heritage assets, in the context of the international marine aggregates industry. The article identifies by comparison the distinctive value of marine historic environment involvement in the ALSF alongside other forms of heritage management policy or practice currently applied in other nations that might be successfully applied in the UK in relation to marine heritage sites impacted by aggregate extraction. The article also identifies issues addressed by ALSF projects that have the potential for delivering 'added value' for other areas of marine planning and development, and promotes the international leadership role of the UK in the innovative management of marine heritage sites.

The 2009 European Heritage Days Evaluation

Sarah Wolferstan

This report evaluated the Council of Europe's Annual Heritage Event, run in partnership with the European Union. Since 1991 historic properties, normally inaccessible to the public, are opened up for a weekend in September. Thirty-nine reports were recieved from many of the 49 countries that participated in the 2009 edition. These were evaluated and trends were identified. The European Heritage Days Evaluation 2009 was presented at the 3rd European Heritage Forum on Participation and Prosperity, held in Istanbul, October 2010.

Diversifying participation in the Historic Environment workforce

James Doeser

This project aims to identify what relevant quantitative and qualitative data exists relating to ethnic diversity in the voluntary and professional (public and private sector) workforce in archaeology and building conservation across the UK and offer recommendations to organisations within the sector that are seeking to increase ethnic diversity. This work was commissioned by English Heritage / the Council for British Archaeology / The Institute of Archaeology, UCL / the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

DCMS policy review: World Heritage for the Nation: Identifying, Protecting and Promoting our World Heritage

Kirsty Norman

The CAA was commissioned to analyse the responses to the public consultation (December  2008 to February 2009) into the UK's current approach to World Heritage as a basis for its upcoming review of the current Tentative List, and to develop options to be considered by DCMS as a suitable way forward, based on these responses. Click here to view the consultation papers

ALSF: Aggregates Extraction and Management of the Historic Environment

Joe Flatman

One of three reports produced for English Heritage and DEFRA within the Heritage theme of the ALSF Dissemination Project. The report provides a critique and summary of best practice guidance to industry, within the context of the wider historic environment research. Read the report on the ALSF website.