This handbook is intended to help exploration and mining projects to minimize their impact on the archaeology of the Namib Desert, a unique environment of global importance to the understanding of the human past. A short introduction to the National Heritage Act is followed by an overview of the archaeological evidence, and a description of the most sensitive elements of the archaeological landscape. With this background and a few principles of site management, it is possible to avoid inadvertent damage to archaeological sites. Also included is an outline of the basic standards for archaeological field survey and assessment devised by the Namib Desert Archaeological Survey.