Preventive Archaeology

Preventive archaeology seeks to combine both the interests of developers and scientific research on, and the protection of, the archaeological heritage. Its aim is to ensure the detection, conservation or safeguarding through scientific study of archaeological remains affected, or potentially affected, by public or private land development projects.

Preventive archaeology mainly comprises two distinct phases: first, the detection of archaeological sites, most commonly carried out as part of archaeological surveys. If this exploratory phase proves to be positive, and if the conservation of the archaeological structures is not possible, the archaeological site may in a second phase be the subject of an archaeological excavation. This will clear the land of all archaeological constraints for the planned redevelopment project. As with research-based excavations, preventive excavations are subject to authorisation by the Ministry of Culture.