© W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2014 DOI 10.1179/1756750514Z.00000000060 the historic environment, Vol. 5 No. 3, November 2014, 245–57 Constructing Archaeology: The Application of Construction Management Practices to Commercial Archaeology in Britain Michael Heaton Self-employed archaeologist, UK This paper compares contractual practices and resultant financial profits in commercial archaeology in the UK with those of the construction industry. It argues that, until archaeologists adopt or emulate those practices, they will be unable to afford the training they need or the intellectual gratification and public engagement they desire, and suggests simple objectives by which that aim might be realised. It is based on the author’s (almost) 30 years’ experience in commercial archaeology and recent studies in construction management. It builds on a paper given at the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) Conference in 2008, a precis of which was published in The Archaeolo- gist (2007), and a seminar held at the University of the West of England in June 2014. keywords contract law and management, risk management, professional training, commercial archaeology Introduction Uncertainty of financial outcome is the main impediment to successful commercial archaeology in Britain and it arises, primarily, from the simplistic forms of contract accepted by archaeological contractors. For, without predictable levels of profit, 1 it is impossible for contractors to invest in the training they need and the intellectual gratification and public engagement the subject warrants. 2,3 The construction indus- try, of which we have been an integral part since the late 1980s, operates on the basis of predictable financial returns and has developed contract law and management practices to facilitate those returns, of which those specific to environmental and civil engineering are immediately applicable to archaeology. This paper argues that, until archaeologists understand and adopt or emulate those practices, we will not enjoy the financial, intellectual, and educational opportunities presented by Planning