Presentation of the archaeological observation zone
In accordance with the regulations of the law of 25 February 2022 on cultural heritage, INRA has established an archaeological observation zone on the basis of the inventory of archaeological heritage and additional information and data from state or municipal authorities responsible for the use, occupation, study or protection of the surface or subsurface, or in charge of excavation and development projects.
The archaeological observation zone is defined by Grand Ducal regulation of 26 July 2023 on the delimitation of the archaeological observation zone. As a supervised zone, it forms an integral part of any plan or project for land development, communal planning or urban development, and is the decisive basis for the application of an archaeological assessment procedure or otherwise.
What is the ZOA?
The archaeological observation zone (Zone d’Observation Archéologique, ZOA) is a geographical area that includes, or is likely to include, elements of archaeological heritage. It includes :
- areas in which archaeological heritage has already been detected, the ZOA, shown in orange;
- areas which have not yet been the subject of an archaeological operation, and for which there is as yet no data to rule out any archaeological potential: these constitute the "sub-area", shown in green.
Archaeological sites listed on the supplementary inventory or classified as national monuments (shown in orange/striped red) under the amended law of 18 July 1983 are also part of the ZOA. Sites listed on the additional national inventory are indicated in striped brown/orange, while sites classified as national monuments are indicated in striped pink/orange.
In accordance with article 4 of the law of 25 February 2022 relating to cultural heritage, all construction, demolition, embankment and land-clearing works planned on land located in the ZOA, i.e. in the orange or green zone, must be subject to an assessment of the impact of these works on archaeological heritage. For further information on assessment and possible exemptions, please consult the land developer's page.
Land that is not part of the archaeological observation zone as defined in article 4 of the aforementioned law:
- fully developed land (shown in grey)
- fully excavated archaeological sites (shown in light blue)
- archaeological sites classified as national cultural heritage in accordance with article 19 of the aforementioned law (shown in pink).
Works and development projects on land outside the ZOA do not require an archaeological impact assessment in accordance with article 4 of the aforementioned law. Please note that works and development projects on archaeological sites classified as national cultural heritage in accordance with article 19 of the aforementioned law are subject to a specific procedure. For further information, please see Project assessment on a protected site.
Where can I find the ZOA?
The ZOA is published on the publicly accessible Géoportail. Consult the ZOA.