The following Code of Ethics was ratified by the full IFRAO meeting on 14 July 2000 in Alice Springs, Australia. It represents the recommends minimum ethical standards for conducting rock art research anywhere.

Policy statements #1
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Equal opportunities is an issue integral to every aspect of archaeological work. It is an aspect of human resource management concerned with the provision of equal access in staff recruitment, selection, training, promotion and retention, and equal opportunity for a positive work experience and environment. While structural inequalities are not specific to archaeological practice, the Institute of Field Archaeologists takes responsibility for formulating policy on archaeological standards, and thus equity issues are implicit in its Code of conduct.

1.1 The Institute of Field Archaeologists is committed to a policy of equal opportunities in archaeology, and its implementation through a programme of positive action.

1.2 This policy aims to heighten awareness of equity issues amongst the membership of the Institute, and to encourage employers to adopt guidelines ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment or access to opportunities for training and development on the grounds of age, gender, marital status, disability, race, religious belief, ethnic or national origins, sexual orientation, or any other grounds not relevant to employment practice.

1.3 The Institute will observe this policy in relation to its own employees, and will consider the policy applicable to its membership. According to the Institute’s Code of conduct, all members must practice ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs (Principle 1), and in dealing with employees and colleagues (Principle 5). Appropriate professional conduct includes refraining from racial and sexual discrimination and harassment. Such behaviour may lead to allegations of improper conduct requiring an investigation conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Institute’s Disciplinary regulations.

1.4 The Institute is committed to equality of opportunity for representation on its committees, working parties and Council, and in the validation process leading to membership.

1.5 Henceforward, the Institute will observe a policy of nonsexist and non-discriminatory language in its by-laws, administration, publications, presentations and annual conference.

1.6 Though its Equal opportunities and Career development and training committees, the Institute is committed to a programme of positive action to make this policy fully effective.

By-laws of the Institute of Field Archaeologists
Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology
Revised edition, September 2002

This Code provides guidance to archaeologists about professional conduct in situations where sponsored or commissioned archaeological work is undertaken on a contractual basis, especially as part of development controlled by the planning process. It is based on the five principles already enshrined in the Institute’s Code of conduct. The principles are

1. The archaeologist shall adhere to the highest standards of ethical and responsible behaviour in the conduct of archaeological affairs.
2. The archaeologist has a responsibility for the conservation of the archaeological heritage.
3. The archaeologist shall conduct his/her work in such a way that reliable information about the past may be acquired, and shall ensure that the results be properly recorded.
4. The archaeologist has a responsibility for making available the results of archaeological work with reasonable dispatch.
5. The archaeologist shall recognise the aspirations of employees, colleagues and helpers with regard to all matters relating to employment, including career development, health and safety, terms and conditions of employment and equality of opportunity.

It is recognised that a variety of local organisational arrangements exist for the conduct of archaeological fieldwork and its associated processes and that these are continuing to evolve. In some areas most projects are undertaken by a single integrated body, in others several organisations coexist harmoniously and elsewhere a more competitive environment prevails. This Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology is not an attempt to promote any particular organisational system for obtaining or carrying out archaeological work. Rather it is intended to encompass all work, whether undertaken through local authorities, central government, universities, museums, independent trusts or private companies.

The Code addresses issues of particular current concern. It provides guidance on professional behaviour where more than one individual or organisation is competing for the same piece of work. It seeks to ensure that the terms and conditions for all work undertaken on behalf of a third party are clearly defined, normally by contract. It requires the declaration of interests by members of the Institute involved with commissioning and implementing a programme of work. It reminds all archaeologists, whatever their role in a particular project, of the need for a sound brief and specification of work together with effective monitoring of professional, academic and technical standards in their execution.

The Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology indicates the general standard of professional conduct to which individual members of the Institute and organisations are expected to adhere when constructing a tender, considering a tender, or undertaking sponsored or commissioned archaeological fieldwork under contract. Members failing to observe the norms of behaviour set out in the Code may be judged guilty by the Institute’s governing body of conduct unbecoming to a member and may be either reprimanded, suspended or expelled. The Institute from time to time produces written standards and guidance for the execution of archaeological projects, and policy statements. All members are advised to respect such standards, guidance and policy statements in the interests of good professional practice; a full list of the IFA Standard and guidance documents and policy statements published to date will be found in the ‘Further reading’ section appended to the Code.

This Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology was formally ratified and adopted as a by-law of the Institute at the Annual General Meeting held on 17 September 1990, and amended by Ordinary Resolutions passed at Annual General Meetings held on 17 September 1993, 14 October 1994, 22 September 1995, 10 September 1997, 17 September 1998 and 7 September 2000. It should be read in conjunction with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, Code of conduct, Disciplinary regulations and Standard and guidance documents (by-law enacted under Article 44, pursuant to Clause 3 of the Memorandum).

By-laws of the Institute of Field Archaeologists
Code of conduct
Revised edition, October 2006

The object of the Code is to promote those standards of conduct and self-discipline required of an archaeologist in the interests of the public and in the pursuit of archaeological research.

Archaeology is the study of the nature and past behaviour of human beings in their environmental setting. It is carried out through the investigation and interpretation of the material remains of human activities, which together constitute the archaeological heritage. The archaeological heritage is a finite, vulnerable and diminishing resource.

The fuller understanding of our past provided by archaeology is part of society’s common heritage and it should be available to everyone. Because of this, and because the archaeological heritage is an irreplaceable resource, archaeologists both corporately and individually have a responsibility to help conserve the archaeological heritage, to use it economically in their work, to conduct their studies in such a way that reliable information may be acquired, and to disseminate the results of their studies.

Subscription to this Code of conduct for individuals engaged in archaeology assumes acceptance of these responsibilities. Those who subscribe to it and carry out its provisions will thereby be identified as persons professing specific standards of competence, responsibility and ethical behaviour in the pursuit of archaeological work.

The Code indicates the general standard of conduct to which members of the Institute are expected to adhere, failing which its governing body may judge them guilty of conduct unbecoming to a member of the Institute and may either reprimand, suspend or expel them. The Institute from time to time produces written standards and guidance for the execution of archaeological projects, and policy statements. All members are advised to respect such standards, guidance and policy statements in the interests of good professional practice; a full list of the IFA Standard and guidance documents published to date will be found in the ‘Further reading’
section.

The Code of conduct was formally ratified and adopted as a by-law of the Institute at the Annual General Meeting held on 3 June 1985, and amended by Ordinary Resolutions passed at Annual General Meetings held on 12 September 1988, 17 September 1993, 14 October 1994, 22 September 1995, 11 September 1996, 10 September 1997 and 7 September 2000. It should be read in conjunction with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, Code of approved practice for the regulation of contractual arrangements in field archaeology, Disciplinary regulations and Standard and guidance documents (by-law enacted under Article 44, pursuant to Clause 3 of the Memorandum).

In 1991 a publication by Christopher Donnan on the National Geographic magazine based on objects that had been illegally exacaveted or "huaqueados", produced an acute debate on the archaeological community of the United States regarding the ownership, or even better the "ethics" behind using illegally obteined materials in scientific publications. The same year the Society for American Archaeology stablished the "Comitty for Ethics in Archaeology" to discuss and reinforce the ethic position of the Society, among these the decision of not publishing work based on this kind of material on their magazines American Antiquity and Latin American Antiquity. Part of the debate was published on a Special Report by the tittle "Ethics in American Archaeology. The challenges for the 1990s", Mark J. Lynott and Alison Wylie., eds. SAA, 1995.

In order to establish a Professional Ethics Code in archaeology it is necessary to question ourselves about the responsability we have with the country, comunity, colleges and with our object of study: archaeological sites.