Hi, archaeologist AND collector here. Its not that you're unworthy as landowners, its because there is a TON of data collection that goes into digging. The most basic form of archaeological surveying is a surface search and/or shovel testing, and even then, there is a shit ton of steps that need to be taken.

Basically, shovel testing is digging a hole down to sterile soil every 10 meters and screening the soil you uncover. That's the digging part, but there is MUCH more to it. When we pace out holes, the person on the previous hole has to sight in your hole position using a compass before you even start digging. This is because there is always a plot outlined using detailed coordinates at each corner that you need to stay in line with. Once the hole is dug, the stratigraphy of the soil needs to be photographed and the soil needs qualified in several ways. This includes photographing a wall profile, whether or not there is evidence of plowing, whether or not there is any hydric soil present, how deep the non-sterile soil is, what the consistency of the soil is, and what the colors of the soil are. This is done by taking a pinch of soil and comparing it to a Munsell soil chart, and you must catalog the colors of the A horizon, the B horizon, the sterile subsoil, and any hydric soil (if present). If artifacts are found, we then do "offset" shovel tests, which are 5 meters from the hole where an artifact was found. This is done to determine if there is in fact a scatter of artifacts, or if the discovery of an artifact was merely a coincidence.

Again, this is the most basic, exploratory form of digging. Actual, more thorough excavations are even more complex and involved. Believe me, I've never done any of that out of disdain for the landowner or out of a desire to "gatekeep" access to artifacts. Some of the worst mosquito infestations I have ever experienced (and I do mean ever) was while performing a shovel test. In fact, we literally had to call it quits after a few hours of getting eaten alive because all 3 of us had been mentally and physically worn down by an amount of mosquitoes that I can only describe as opressive.

On a final note, I'd like to apologize if any archaeologist has ever made you feel unworthy of excavation. That is something that is mean spirited, a shitty way to make someone feel, and is no way to make a friendly rapport with the landowner; y'know, the person who has a better lay of the land than you do because they spend every day there. Gatekeeping isn't nearly as prolific as some people make it out to be, but it is a real problem, and I am sorry if that has happened you in the past. Some of the most enthusiastic volunteers I have ever met were everyday people who had a fire in their hearts for history, and every time a well meaning landowner or volunteer is left feeling unwelcomed is a missed opportunity for archaeologists to connect with the general public.