Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA)
A field‑based assessment that evaluates presence, significance and project impacts on archaeological sites and recommends mitigation.
Required for regulatory permitting and project decision‑making.
An Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) is a focused study of an archaeological site. Once a site has been identified either through a background check, Archaeological Overview Assessment, or Preliminary Field Reconnaissance, if a project is planned within 50 metres of the archaeological site, the government requires an AIA.
The purpose of the AIA is to (1) identify the boundaries of the site, (2) estimate its depth and make estimations about its significance and (3) make recommendations regarding potential impact and propose strategies to avoid impact or if necessary, reduce impact.
An AIA determines this through testing, usually soil-probing, or shovel testing.