salvage archaeology

salvage archaeology [Ge].
North American term for the kind of systematic investigations, often partial, precipitated by development pressure or the need to rescue remains prior to their destruction. Based on the premiss that some work is better than none, salvage archaeology is the main source of archaeological information in areas where remains are constantly under threat. Because salvage archaeology is threat-led, it is only rarely possible to be selective about what is examined, and time constraints often mean that many of the more refined techniques of data recovery cannot be deployed. Known as RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGY in Britain.