Archaeology is now a fundamental part of the planning system in the UK, and because of this the greatest proportion of the archaeology which now gets excavated today is actually carried out by professional archaeologists working for commercial field units in the private sector. Some of the best and most astounding sites have been excavated over the past 25 years through developer-funded excavations. Whilst these are trained professionals working under strict conditions, some also manage community excavations, once more providing opportunities for the public enthusiast. In any case, it is always worth checking out their websites to see what eye-opening results are coming out of the earth on a daily basis. Below is a selection of units which are based in the south-east region, but it is worth remembering that they are not restricted to this area and, vice versa, other units also come in from other areas of Britain.

Commercial Archaeological Units

Archaeology South-East ucl.ac.uk/archaeologyse

Canterbury Archaeological Trust canterburytrust.co.uk/

Chris Butler Archaeological Services Limited cbasltd.co.uk

Trust for Thanet Archaeology thanetarch.co.uk/

Surrey County Archaeological Unit surreycc.gov.uk/recreation-heritage-and-culture/archaeology/surrey-county-archaeological-unit