Paper short abstract:

This paper reviews the state’s role in protecting archaeology and its relationship with the overall economic situation of the country with particular reference to Southeast Asia. It also highlights on the impact of the economic crisis on the structural inefficiencies in various areas of archaeology.

Paper long abstract:

Archaeology is the study of human antiquities. Knowledge about archaeology and archaeological sites add to the expertise of the tourism professionals. Tourism comprises an extensive range of economic activities and can be considered as the largest industry in the world. They treat archaeological heritage as merchandise or a service within the overall framework of the free market economy and ensure quality control. However, the protective measures such as preventive or rescue archaeology, are provided by the community of citizens, as expressed through the state, its laws, regulations and policy guidance. It's the state's role to acknowledge that archaeological remains need to be studied prior to their destruction. The scale and scope of the preventive measures are largely dependent on the overall economic situation in the country, in particular the housing construction sector, the real estate market and the state-funded infrastructure. This paper is a humble attempt to review the scope of rescue and preventive works and its relationship with the overall economic situation of the state with particular reference to Southeast Asia. It also highlights on the impact of the economic crisis and its consequences upon structural inefficiency of legal and practical solutions in various areas of archaeology. There have been varied crises throughout human history: natural disasters such as earthquakes, flash floods or droughts, or human-created famines, epidemics, and wars which have left tangible traces in the archaeological record, subject to much research and numerous interpretations. Economic crises for their part are probably more difficult to identify in the record.