Like every discipline, the field of archaeology has a set of guidelines and standards to aid archaeologists in dealing with the wide variety of ethical issues which come up during the excavation, examination, interpretation, and publication of archaeological material.
“The Archaeological Institute of America is dedicated to the greater understanding of archaeology, to the protection and preservation of the world’s archaeological resources and the information they contain, and to the encouragement and support of archaeological research and publication.”
– preface to the Code of Ethics of the Archaeological Institute of America.
Ethical issues in archaeology encompass concerns of identity, cultural history and preservation, and ownership. A common and serious concern is the treatment of human remains – who should remove the remains from the ground (if at all), what should be done with the remains, and who should ultimately have control of them? Different cultures and religions have different traditions when it comes to caring for the dead, and there can be a tension between those practices and the scientific procedures of the excavation and study of remains. However, a respect for cultural or religious practices and beliefs should be a guideline for archaeological study. Archaeologists must balance their responsibilities to people, to materials, and to the profession in their work, and preservation of the materials of cultural heritage should maintain the dignity of individuals and their narratives.
While it is difficult to lay out hard and fast rules about the correct relationship between past atrocities and current duties, archaeologists and archaeological societies such as the AIA have worked hard to produce standards for archaeologists which address major concerns like the treatment of human remains, looting of archaeological sites and the trade of antiquities, and preservation of and access to cultural heritage resources.
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Plague Paths: The Archaeology of the Justinianic Plague Online 