Abstract

The paper will provide an overview of the changing nature of archaeology in Nova Scotia. As a long time player in provincial archaeology the author has witnessed the good, the bad and the ugly. The paper will deal with issues such as the conflicts which arise when an academic dabbling in a Free Market Enterprise. The question of whether nor not there are any benefits of an academic doing contract work beyond the obvious monetary rewards will be investigated. Although not a central theme there will be some discussion contrasting the contract business in Canada with that of the U.K. again looking at conflicts and benefits. One final issue will be a discussion on the growing and potentially dangerous use of contract archaeology as a political tool. These topics will be presented with case studies to illustrate various points.