just got Enter the Unknown cool supplement. and I'm sending my pcs on a Indiana Jones like adventure. What part of the empire recovers artifacts.

I'm thinking ISB. imperial intelligence just doesnt seem quite right

This sounds like a job for... COMPNOR!

Seriously, their Coalition for Progress branch includes Science, Education, and Art divisions, and they got COMPForce troopers to provide muscle. Seems like a good match, COMPNOR backs and staffs the expeditions, if what they find proves the Empire is the greatest (or can be made to) then it gets published far and wide, if what they find proves the Empire isn't so great... well whose to say they found anything at all...or that anyone else will...

Once again, I can say "What Ghostofman said!"

In the Old Republic, you had the Imperial Reclamation Service, which may or may not exist in the "current" timeline.

A small number of schools also have programs in archaeology, which may or may not be tied to the Empire.

The Empire may also be hiring out third parties, either "officially" (like those from a school or a business getting support from the Empire) or off the record (a treasure hunting band).

But here's another option: make your own and tie it to where you think it should. . .or make it a contested group within the Empire.

An archaeology branch can fall under ISB due to it being information gathering with secrets involved, but it technically can fall under COMPNOR as was previously mentioned. As such, it gets support from both sides trying to buy them into their own groups, or they could be a sorely underfunded and undersupported group getting castoffs.

In fact, the group can be getting flak from all sides involved! The Navy could hate them for pulling their ships into their tasks, ISB think they are too risky to have around since they are normally in the Outer Rim or other unexplored reasons, the Army could hate having to post people there, and COMPNOR fears anything they can find that doesn't bode well for Palpatine's Regime.

Just my two cents for you.

Just to ping-pong with Librarian...

Involving the ISB can make a lot of sense. The ISB is in fact another branch of COMPNOR so at the very least the primary mission team will all get along great and probably are all best buds from the SAGroup Galactic Jamboree back in the day*... or they all hate each other and are continually accusing each other of being spies, rebels, and aliens, like a game of Paranoia...

Another thing that Libby got me thinking of though is the definition of Archeology. I initially thought of digging in the dirt, so like digging up old sith ruins and such. Not especially valueable in the here and now, so a progress branch detachment makes a lot of sense in that perspective.

But then I got thinking on a more galactic scale. While planet A might just have Aztect ruins IIIINNNNN SPAAAAAACE, Planet B might be the world of Fallout... you wouldn't be looking for some mask, or talisman, or an old sword, you'd be looking for a Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Now THAT's something the ISB might be very very interested in depending on what they thought it did...

*Funny historical note. My mom's boss back when she was in Germany had served in WWII on the German side (he was German, so it makes sense, bear with me though cause it gets interesting). But before that when he was younger he was in the Hitler Youth (Nazi Boy Scouts, kinda like the SAGroup in COMPNOR). Anyhoo, his family wasn't poor, but they were by no means wealthy, so when the HY starting going to big rallies in Berlin he couldn't go... When the War got interesting and he went into the military he noticed something. He got assigned to the regular army... but his rich friends whose parents could afford to send them to the rallies were assigned to the SS!

So one thing I try and remember when I use COMPNOR is to characterize them in a similar fashion. In addition to the whole fanatically loyal angle, I also consider that many of them will probably be from fairly well off families, reasonably good backgrounds, and probably all knew each other from the SAGroup, or at least had a shared experience. So I might include a petty rivalry between two COMPNOR branches from different planets that don't really get along, or make a point of having them be a little snobby compared to military regulars, like a really white collar type suddenly working with blue collar guys, and just generally consider that the internal social and cultural side of COMPNOR probably has a very "Greek row" feeling to it, with lots of little cliques that will easily unite for a common cause, but just as easily fracture over petty pranks and rivalries...

Just to ping-pong with Librarian...

Involving the ISB can make a lot of sense. The ISB is in fact another branch of COMPNOR so at the very least the primary mission team will all get along great and probably are all best buds from the SAGroup Galactic Jamboree back in the day*... or they all hate each other and are continually accusing each other of being spies, rebels, and aliens, like a game of Paranoia...

Another thing that Libby got me thinking of though is the definition of Archeology. I initially thought of digging in the dirt, so like digging up old sith ruins and such. Not especially valueable in the here and now, so a progress branch detachment makes a lot of sense in that perspective.

But then I got thinking on a more galactic scale. While planet A might just have Aztect ruins IIIINNNNN SPAAAAAACE, Planet B might be the world of Fallout... you wouldn't be looking for some mask, or talisman, or an old sword, you'd be looking for a Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Now THAT's something the ISB might be very very interested in depending on what they thought it did...

*Funny historical note. My mom's boss back when she was in Germany had served in WWII on the German side (he was German, so it makes sense, bear with me though cause it gets interesting). But before that when he was younger he was in the Hitler Youth (Nazi Boy Scouts, kinda like the SAGroup in COMPNOR). Anyhoo, his family wasn't poor, but they were by no means wealthy, so when the HY starting going to big rallies in Berlin he couldn't go... When the War got interesting and he went into the military he noticed something. He got assigned to the regular army... but his rich friends whose parents could afford to send them to the rallies were assigned to the SS!

So one thing I try and remember when I use COMPNOR is to characterize them in a similar fashion. In addition to the whole fanatically loyal angle, I also consider that many of them will probably be from fairly well off families, reasonably good backgrounds, and probably all knew each other from the SAGroup, or at least had a shared experience. So I might include a petty rivalry between two COMPNOR branches from different planets that don't really get along, or make a point of having them be a little snobby compared to military regulars, like a really white collar type suddenly working with blue collar guys, and just generally consider that the internal social and cultural side of COMPNOR probably has a very "Greek row" feeling to it, with lots of little cliques that will easily unite for a common cause, but just as easily fracture over petty pranks and rivalries...

I think Ghostofman has officially won this thread, and we can all go home now with lots of archaeology ideas :-D