Page 90 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(1) (2025)

contract archaeology in South Africa was es- archaeology in Namibia as a commercial ven-
tablished from 1989. Nick Shepherd appears to ture was adopted from developments in South
agree with Deacon on the catalyst for the emer- Africa, which was then the colonial metropole
gence of contract archaeology. For Shepherd, a for Namibia. This happened after South Africa
contextual reading of the history of contract ar- passed the Environmental Management Act in
chaeology in South Africa reveals that it devel- 1989. However, the earliest form of contract ar-
oped as a response to the political crisis in South chaeology in Namibia only manifested itself in
Africa in the late 1980s (Shepherd 2015, 750). the late 1990s.
South Africa was then experiencing the effects Contract archaeology emerged in Namib-
of economic failure, and this exerted pressure on ia as a response to the Environmental Assess-
universities. It forced universities to think crea- ment Policy, which was adopted in 1995. This
tively about how to sustain their disciplines. Ar- kind of archaeology was mobilised around pro-
90 chaeology departments had to experiment with viding commercial services as a sub-practice of
contract archaeology. Coincidentally, the Envi- environmental impact assessments that contrib-
ronment Conservation Act was also being draft- uted specialist reports. Contract archaeology in
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 1 / volume 13 (2025), number 1
ed, and this gave an impetus to ideas of archaeo- this instance focused specifically on the cultural
logical practice as mitigation and commerce that and historical components of the environmental
manifested themselves in the departments. impact assessment reports. The Environmental
While university budgets were shrink- Assessment Policy enabled contract archaeolo-
ing, positions in museums and universities were gy through its definition of the term ‘environ-
also saturated, and hence there was a need to ment’, which was ‘broadly interpreted to include
open new avenues of employment for universi- biophysical, social, economic, cultural, histori-
ty graduates. Contract archaeology created em- cal and political components’ (Ministry of En-
ployment possibilities and expanded the labour vironment and Tourism 1995). This policy was
market. Contract archaeology was constituted later incorporated into the Environmental Man-
as the fundraising arm for university archaeol- agement Act (Act 7 of 2007). In addition to re-
ogy departments since government funding on sponding to the Environmental Assessment Pol-
research was reduced. Furthermore, contract ar- icy, contract archaeology was stimulated by the
chaeology was meant to ensure new posts so that strict demands of international development
graduates being trained at South African univer- agencies. Funding institutions such as the De-
3
sities would be employed. It was seen as the hope velopment Bank made environmental impact as-
for the broadening and continuation of archae- sessments a requirement for financing develop-
ology. Thus, the formalisation of contract ar- ment projects (Kinahan 2001, 25).
chaeology was encouraged by the passing of the Namibia’s independence from South Africa
legislation and the desire to accommodate new exerted pressure on the new democratic govern-
graduates and to justify the continued existence ment to prioritise provision of essential servic-
of the discipline at universities. es, especially in areas that had been systemat-
The development of contract archaeology in ically denied development under apartheid.
Namibia followed the same trajectory as that of Roads and railway networks were built and ex-
South Africa. There was a period when the State tended, and health facilities, schools and dams
Museum of Namibia practiced rescue archaeol- were constructed by the new government of
ogy before it was turned into a field of commer- Namibia. Power stations and power lines were
cial endeavour. The idea of formalised contract also established. In addition to infrastructural

3 Deacon (1998, 3) contended that: ‘It is clear that, with the cut-back in government spending, the creation of new posts will be
curtailed. However, there is the prospect that with the introduction of legislation providing for the conservation of the natural
environment, a new demand for archaeological services will be made.’