salvage archaeology

American

noun

the collection of archaeological data and materials from a site in danger of imminent destruction, as from new construction or flooding.

Etymology

Origin of salvage archaeology

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We documented it as we would during a salvage archaeology project, and then it was gone,” she said.

From Slate • Sep. 27, 2013

Thanks to an ongoing program of salvage archaeology in the Great Harbor, such remnants are now easier than ever to find.

From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023