Guidelines for Land Developers

A chance discovery of archaeological remains made during development work requires an immediate halt to the project until archaeological investigations can be carried out on the site in question. This is why the Ministry of Culture and the Institut national de recherches archéologiques (INRA) established the principle of preventive archaeology.

This principle aims to achieve two objectives:

• To protect archaeological remains from human impact, particularly through undocumented destruction caused by construction, demolition or earthworks (filling and digging), as well as natural risks.
• To provide greater planning security for property owners, project managers and /or developers within the scope of the planned works.

Indeed, the principle of preventive archaeology replaces previous practices, which, in the event of a chance discovery, led the State to halt a construction project, resulting in unforeseen delays and additional costs.