A structure and process for 'working beyond the site' in a commercial context: A case study from Dunsborough, Southwest Western Australia

Abstract

This paper examines the benefits of collaborative Indigenous archaeologies embedded through all phases of a commercial archaeology project. A community-based structure ensures a multifaceted level of investigation without demanding any additional resources upon the client, and a place-based approach to documenting and incorporating the range of values associated with archaeological heritage delivers multiple, positive outcomes. The paper outlines the community-based management structure and methodology within which the archaeologists operate, ultimately providing for an effective platform for research, conservation and management. At an operational level this necessarily entails a process for working beyond the site to fully integrate traditional and archaeological understandings of interconnected cultural landscapes.