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When an archaeology firm closes, preserve each project as a custody-and-continuity handover, not as a hurried file copy. Identify the authorised custodian, inventory physical and digital records project by project, keep lawful access to cloud and local systems, protect metadata and restrictions, and transfer the archive to the client and the repository named in the project plan. Do not assume the company owns every record, that a final report is the whole archive, or that a consumer hard drive is a permanent repository.
Start with custody, not copying
A closure does not automatically decide who owns or controls an archaeological archive. The answer can depend on the contract, client, funder, record type, copyright and title arrangements, local heritage rules, privacy law, and whether the business is in administration, liquidation or another formal insolvency process.
First establish whether trading has simply stopped or a formal process has begun. Record the names and contact details of the director or authorised records contact, the client, and any appointed insolvency practitioner, administrator, liquidator or official receiver. If an insolvency office-holder has been appointed, obtain written instructions before entering systems, changing passwords, renewing subscriptions or removing equipment. UK official-receiver practice includes locating, securing and transferring business records and information held in cloud services; unauthorised access or deletion can create legal and evidential problems.
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What belongs in an archaeological archive
The archive is larger than the published report. Historic England describes project records and materials in paper, film and digital forms, together with finds, environmental remains and samples. Digital data may be the only surviving product of a project, so it must be preserved as primary archaeological evidence rather than treated as disposable working material.
| Record group | Examples to locate | Details to record |
|---|---|---|
| Project administration | Contract, brief, permissions, correspondence, meeting notes, invoices and change records | Client, project identifier, dates, contractual owner and any confidentiality terms |
| Fieldwork records | Context sheets, registers, notebooks, logs, plans, section drawings, sample registers and site diaries | Original format, completeness, creator and relationship to the site or intervention |
| Images and audiovisual material | Photographs, scans, film, drone imagery, video and image registers | Original files, derivative files, filenames, dates, captions, copyright and embedded metadata |
| Survey and spatial data | GIS projects, geodatabases, CAD drawings, total-station exports, coordinate files and georeferenced imagery | Native formats, export formats, coordinate reference system, software version and linked data paths |
| Specialist and scientific data | Finds databases, environmental results, dating data, conservation records, osteology, zooarchaeology and specialist reports | Methods, units, lookup tables, code lists, quality notes and links to physical samples |
| Outputs | Draft and final reports, publication files, figures, appendices, data dictionaries and read-me files | Approval status, version, date and relationship to source data |
| Physical archive | Finds, environmental remains, samples, paper files, photographs, media and storage boxes | Current location, box or accession number, condition, title and repository status |
| Access and risk information | Personal data, specialist contact details, financial information and sensitive site coordinates | Restriction, legal basis, redaction decision, access period and authorised users |
This checklist is a practical way to implement the ordered compilation, documentation, selection and transfer expected by archaeological archive guidance. It is not a universal statutory form. Adapt it to the project brief and the receiving repository.
Seven-step preservation and handover workflow
1. Establish authority and urgency
- Confirm the firm’s status: trading normally, ceased trading informally, in administration, in liquidation or subject to another insolvency process.
- Identify the authorised decision-maker and obtain a written scope for access, copying, renewal of accounts and movement of physical material.
- Notify each client and the intended museum, repository or digital archive that a continuity handover is required.
- Freeze routine deletion, mailbox purges, automated retention jobs and device re-imaging until the custodian has issued instructions.
Do not log in with a former employee’s credentials, bypass a multi-factor control or take equipment from an office without authority. If access has already lapsed, ask the authorised custodian to work with the provider on account recovery or a controlled export.
2. Build a project-by-project inventory
Use one inventory row per project and separate rows for major physical and digital components. Include the project or site identifier, client, contract dates, principal investigator, archive plan, current stage, intended repository, accession or deposit reference, and a named contact responsible for the next action.
Search beyond the shared drive. Check network shares, workstations, laptops, removable media, email, project-management platforms, GIS and CAD workspaces, relational databases, specialist software, backup systems, cloud storage, repository portals and personal devices used for authorised work. Note the provider, account name, subscription status, renewal date and administrator for every cloud service.
Mark each component as complete, incomplete, unprocessed, missing, deposited or subject to a restriction. Record what is absent and the last known location; an explicit gap is more useful than an inventory that implies completeness.
3. Keep digital access alive lawfully
For every cloud or hosted system, record the account owner, authorised administrator, billing contact, renewal date, export options and dependencies such as linked databases or software licences. Arrange a short continuity period where necessary so that data can be exported under authority. Preserve an authorised copy and document who created it, when, from which system and with what settings.
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Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 4.703 provides a concrete US federal example of the principle: “Contractors may transfer computer data in machine readable form from one reliable computer medium to another.” The same rule requires reliable media and preservation of integrity, reliability and security for covered records. FAR is not a general archaeology rule, but its transfer-audit approach is a useful model.
4. Preserve context and integrity
Copy files without silently changing their names, hierarchy or embedded metadata. Keep a manifest listing each path, file size, modification date and, where the receiving repository supports it, a checksum. Record the source system, export method, software version, selection criteria and any conversion or redaction.
Keep both native and preservation-friendly formats when the repository requests them. For example, a database export should be accompanied by its schema, code lists and documentation; a GIS layer should include its coordinate reference information and links to related tables; an image set should retain original files alongside access derivatives. Do not discard a source file merely because a PDF or image preview exists.
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Store the manifest and transfer notes with the copy. Each handover should show who prepared it, who authorised it, who received it, the date, media or transfer method, and any exceptions. This creates an audit trail if a file is later questioned.
5. Review ownership, privacy and site security
Before permanent deposit, check who owns the files, finds and samples; who holds copyright; whether the client has publication or access rights; and whether a funder or landowner imposed restrictions. A repository may require a transfer of title or a licence before accepting material.
Screen digital and paper records for personal data, private addresses, financial information, specialist contact details and confidential commercial material. Separate or redact information when the contract, privacy law or repository policy requires it, and record what was removed and why. Keep an authorised restricted copy when a repository needs evidence that a redaction occurred.
Exact site coordinates and other information that could enable looting may need controlled access. NARA identifies archaeological site locations as protected information in relevant US federal records-transfer contexts. Do not publish sensitive coordinates merely because a report is otherwise open; follow the repository and responsible heritage authority’s access rules.
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6. Transfer to the agreed repositories
Coordinate physical and digital deposition rather than sending unrelated parcels to whichever storage space is easiest. Historic England’s formulation is that “The archive will be transferred to a museum, repository or digital archive where it will be curated and made accessible for further research, education or enjoyment.” The receiving institution should be named in the project plan or agreed in writing before transfer.
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For physical material, obtain packing, labelling, environmental and transport requirements from the museum or repository. For digital data, use a trusted digital repository that can preserve the relevant formats, metadata, documentation and access restrictions. Archaeology Data Service guidance and CIfA’s Dig Digital material emphasise long-term preservation, access and reuse rather than temporary file hosting.
Send a manifest and transfer note with every delivery. Obtain an accession number, deposit receipt or equivalent written confirmation, then update the project inventory with the repository, date, scope, exceptions and access conditions. Link box numbers, sample identifiers and accession references to the digital records so that a researcher can connect the physical and digital parts of the archive.
7. Check retention before destroying anything
There is no single retention period for every archaeological project. Review contract clauses, funder rules, local heritage requirements, privacy obligations, open investigations, record category and written instructions from the client and repository.
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FAR 4.703 generally specifies three years after final payment for covered US federal contractor records, subject to exceptions and different periods for particular records. That figure does not determine the lifetime of a private archaeology archive or override a project-specific deposit requirement. UK official-receiver practice also links preservation to ongoing administration, investigation and legal duties.
Do not delete working files, emails or backups merely because a final report has been accepted. Obtain a written disposition decision identifying what may be destroyed, what must be retained, the date, the approving authority and the method. Record the destruction after it occurs.
Use a handover matrix to choose the destination
When several destinations are possible, compare them against the project’s authority and preservation needs. A temporary drive, the client’s server, a museum and a trusted digital repository serve different purposes.
| Option | Legal authority and title | Preservation and context | Security and continuity | Evidence required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client-controlled system | Works only when the contract or written decision gives the client control | Depends on whether the client can preserve native formats, metadata and documentation | Access can continue quickly, but account ownership and backups must be verified | Authorisation, manifest, administrator confirmation and transfer log |
| Insolvency practitioner’s secured copy | Appropriate for stabilising records while authority is being resolved | Useful as an interim forensic or continuity copy, not normally the final archaeological repository | Provides controlled access during investigation or sale of assets | Custody record, read-only or protected copy details and access log |
| Museum or physical archive repository | Suitable when title, accession and collecting terms are agreed | Provides curation for finds, samples and paper material; digital capability varies | Long-term care depends on the institution’s media and digital-preservation policy | Accession or deposit receipt, box list and title or licence document |
| Trusted digital repository | Requires an agreed deposit, licence or transfer of rights | Designed for format management, metadata, fixity checks, access and reuse | Better continuity than an expiring commercial account; restrictions can be encoded | Submission package, checksum or manifest, acceptance report and persistent identifier |
| Portable external drive | Only an authorised transfer or backup copy | Can preserve a structured copy temporarily, but does not provide curation, migration or discovery by itself | Susceptible to loss, failure, obsolescence and unclear custody | Encrypted or access-controlled media, manifest, checksum, duplicate copy and signed handover |
The durable destination should be the repository identified in the project plan or selected by the authorised parties. A consumer drive can bridge a closure; it is not, by itself, an archive service.
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Make the inventory reproducible
Give every project a stable identifier and use it consistently in folders, manifests and repository submissions. Keep a read-me file that explains the project, creators, dates, software dependencies, abbreviations, coordinate systems, database relationships, known gaps and access restrictions. Store the read-me at the project root and with the deposited package.
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Preserve native data and useful exports
Ask the receiving repository which preservation and access formats it accepts. Keep native GIS, CAD, database and image files when they are needed to preserve meaning, and supply documented exports for easier reuse. Include lookup tables, controlled vocabularies, field definitions and scripts required to interpret structured data. A CSV without its code list can lose the meaning of its values; a drawing without its coordinate reference can lose its spatial meaning.
Use fixity and independent copies
Generate a checksum or equivalent fixity value for the transfer package when the repository supports it. Keep at least one authorised copy separate from the source system until the receiving repository confirms acceptance. Protect copies against unauthorised alteration, but do not encrypt them in a way that leaves the repository without the key or recovery instructions.
Document conversions and redactions
If a proprietary file is converted, retain the original when rights and storage allow, identify the software and version used, and note any features that did not survive conversion. For redacted material, record the category removed, the decision-maker, date, legal or contractual reason and whether a restricted original is retained.
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United Kingdom
Historic England and Chartered Institute for Archaeologists guidance describe compilation, documentation and transfer of archaeological archives, including digital components. Archaeology Data Service guidance covers digital-format management, documentation and personal-data issues. Archive Advisory guidance also treats repository identification, transfer of title and copyright as matters to resolve during project planning. These are professional guidance examples; the contract and the receiving repository’s conditions still govern a particular project.
United States federal work
FAR 4.703 applies to specified federal contractor records and includes electronic-data integrity, reliable-media and retention requirements. The three-year period after final payment is limited to covered records and subject to exceptions. For federally owned or administered archaeological collections, 36 CFR Part 79 provides a relevant curation framework; confirm the responsible federal agency and repository agreement. NARA access rules may keep archaeological site-location information protected after transfer.
Other jurisdictions and non-federal projects
Do not transplant UK guidance or US federal regulations into another project as if they were universal law. Identify the local heritage authority, applicable archive standards, client contract, funder terms, privacy regime, repository and insolvency procedure. A short written opinion from the responsible authority or qualified lawyer may be necessary when ownership, export, personal data or title to finds is disputed.
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The cloud subscription has expired
Ask the authorised account holder or insolvency practitioner to contact the provider immediately. Request restoration, a preservation hold or an export window. Record the account, billing status, last successful access and every provider response. Do not create a replacement account and present it as the original archive without documenting the change.
Only a final PDF can be found
Treat the project as incomplete. Search field devices, image stores, GIS and CAD workspaces, databases, email attachments, backup media and repository portals. Ask specialists and the client whether source datasets or physical materials were deposited separately. Mark missing components explicitly and preserve the PDF as one output, not as proof that the archive is complete.
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Files open but links are broken
Copy the entire project directory, linked data, lookup tables, fonts and documentation before trying to repair paths. Open the copy in a controlled environment, record the software version and note any unresolved links. Do not rename thousands of files or alter database keys without preserving the original package and recording the transformation.
Personal data are mixed with research data
Limit access to the authorised review team, identify the data categories, consult the client and repository, and separate or redact only under a documented decision. Keep the restricted original where lawful and necessary for audit or legal duties. Never upload an unreviewed contact list to a public archive.
Physical boxes cannot be matched to digital records
Quarantine the material from disposal, photograph labels, transcribe box and accession numbers, and reconcile them with context, sample and finds registers. Ask the receiving repository for its preferred relabelling process. Preserve the original label information even when new barcodes are added.
No one agrees who owns the archive
Pause irreversible transfer, secure a read-only or otherwise protected copy, and collect the contract, purchase orders, deposit agreements, copyright assignments and funding conditions. Ask the client and insolvency professional for a written interim custody decision. A repository can often hold material pending title resolution, but it should not be asked to decide disputed ownership without authority.
A practical handover package
For each project, assemble a package that a new custodian can understand without the closing firm’s staff. Include:
- Project identifier, client, site, dates and principal contacts.
- Contract, brief, archive plan, repository agreement and title or licence documents.
- Inventory of paper, digital, physical and deposited components, with completeness status.
- Folder and filename map, read-me, data dictionary, code lists and software dependencies.
- Native files and documented access or preservation exports.
- Manifest with file paths, sizes, dates and fixity values where available.
- Restriction schedule covering personal data, confidential information and sensitive locations.
- Transfer log naming the preparer, authoriser, recipient, date, method and exceptions.
- Accession, deposit or acceptance receipts and links between physical and digital identifiers.
- Open issues list showing missing records, unresolved rights, failed exports and the next responsible person.
Twenty-four-hour triage checklist
- Identify the authorised custodian and any insolvency practitioner.
- Issue a written hold on deletion, re-imaging and account closure.
- List every project, repository, cloud account, device and physical storage location.
- Secure an authorised copy of the highest-risk digital records and document the source.
- Confirm renewal dates and restore access to expiring services through the authorised administrator.
- Notify clients and intended repositories of the closure and proposed handover.
- Separate known personal, confidential and sensitive-location data for controlled review.
- Record missing, incomplete and already-deposited components rather than assuming completeness.
- Arrange a formal transfer meeting and require manifests and receipts for every delivery.
- Defer destruction until contractual, legal, funder and repository instructions are checked in writing.
Following this sequence preserves both the information and the evidence of who was responsible for it. The final archive is the curated, documented collection accepted by the authorised repository, not merely the last folder left on a company server.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who legally owns an archaeology project archive after a firm closes?
The available general guidance cannot determine ownership for a particular project. Check the contract, client instructions, copyright and title arrangements, funding terms, repository agreement and any directions from an appointed insolvency practitioner or other legal custodian before accessing or transferring records.
Is the final archaeological report enough to preserve the project?
No. An archive can include field records, photographs, drawings, GIS, CAD, databases, specialist datasets, correspondence, finds, environmental remains and samples. Digital source data may be the only surviving product and should be documented and deposited with the rest of the collection.
Can I copy the files to an external hard drive?
You may create an authorised transfer or backup copy on reliable media, with a manifest, integrity checks, access controls and a documented handover. The drive is temporary media; long-term custody belongs with the client, museum or trusted digital repository selected for the project.
How long must archaeology records be kept?
There is no universal period. Contract, funder, jurisdiction, record category, privacy duties, investigations and repository instructions control. FAR 4.703 generally uses three years after final payment for covered US federal contractor records, subject to exceptions; that rule does not govern every archaeology project.
What should happen if cloud access has already lapsed?
Have the authorised account holder or insolvency professional contact the provider immediately to seek restoration, a preservation hold or an export window. Document the account, last access, provider responses and any recovered or missing data.
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