We were negotiating with the owner/developer for access to the property for an archeological dig but were unable to agree to their demands, which included:
- that anyone participating in the archeological dig would have to sign two legal agreements including a Confidentiality Agreement that would forbid the participants from ever writing about the excavation without the permission of the developer (this agreement had no sunset provision–meaning that for the rest of our lives we would not be able to say what we found without first asking the developer’s permission);
- Obtaining an insurance policy for $2 Million of liability coverage;
- Limiting the excavation to five holes of a depth of two feet;
- A ban on photography;
- A ban on recruiting the help of an archeologist; and
- Turning over any artifacts found on the site to the developer.
We are still hopeful that the owner and developer will change their mind and allow an archeological excavation without these excessive demands, which run contrary to the methodology and code of conduct of archeology.