Research Designs and Damage Assessments: Appropriate Response to Treat Irrevocably Effected Places

Despite efforts by regulatory and law enforcement agencies, damage to important places still occasionally occurs. Often this damage not only affects the scientific value of a place, but also the importance of that place to indigenous communities. The issue we explore here is what are the appropriate and ethical responses that can be employed to "mitigate the adverse effect?" Is further traditional archaeological research (e.g. excavation) a valid response to treat the already damaged portion of the place or site that retains integrity? And is it the only response? We explore the range of treatments available and address the need for regulatory amendments to insure that damaged places are treated appropriately.