Proceedings of the Heritage Symposia

Space is under severe pressure in the cities. Especially now, when many cities are putting much more emphasis on urban infill rather than expanding over the surrounding countryside. Preserving archaeological sites in cities is, therefore, complicated. So is excavating and researching sites. Many remains lie deep underground, and archaeology consists of an accumulation of traces and finds. Excavation is time-consuming and complex but, at the same time, it yields information about hundreds of years of habitation and use. The foci of the conference were how archaeology can contribute to urban society, how archaeological heritage management works in cities, and how a rich archaeological heritage can contribute to the cities of the future. EAC’s 25th Heritage Management Symposium took place on 21–22 March 2024 at the Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels, hosted by Urban.Brussels and was organized within the framework of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first semester of 2024.

‘Contemporary Archaeology’ deals with sites, features and finds from the period after the beginning of industrialisation, obtained through excavation and documentation using techniques and methods applied in all fields of archaeology. The topic and the comparatively ‘young’ period in focus are not completely new for archaeological monument preservation, even if they are explicitly considered in only a relatively few monument protection laws. It has long been common practice in many places across Europe to protect, preserve, and research monuments of the recent past—simply because they are there. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for archaeological heritage management, considered in the 2023 EAC symposium papers. Archaeological heritage preservation gains weight because it is accompanied by a special interest from the public and, thus, can develop opportunities to participate in political education. The material remains of war and terror lead us to the limits of archaeology and beyond: they become evidence, crime scenes, and anchors for commemoration and political education.

Archaeological sites and monuments are defined as spatial entities and are, therefore, an intrinsic part of any environment as humans perceive it. Landscape archaeology and concepts such as “landscape biography” have taught us that our environment has developed in millennia of interaction between humans and nature. Human societies adapt to and change their environments in co-evolutionary feedback loops – and archaeological sites also reflect this principle.
Obviously, human activities impact the natural environment. However, archaeologists and heritage managers rarely take a step further and view their sites and monuments from nature conservation point of view. Yet dealing with archaeological findings (and ultimately archaeological sites and monuments) can help us improve our understanding of how environments evolve and develop. This “historical” view of natural environments has been the main objective of environmental archaeology for decades. The research agendas of zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, and geoarchaeology have produced an invaluable basis for understanding past environments.

Climate change is affecting our environment. Climate projections show that in Europe we can expect many drastic changes including rainfall and temperature, desertification, thawing permafrost and soil subsidence; also changes to sea levels, temperatures, and to ocean acidification and currents. These climate drivers will result in changes in flora and fauna, and changes in soil conditions which will affect archaeological deposits. Moreover, human responses to the climate crisis can also impact archaeological sites. However, while our archaeological deposits and historic places are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, our knowledge and skills as archaeologists are also relevant to supporting society in adapting to a changing climate and a low carbon future. In 2021 the EAC held its Symposium on the topic of climate change and archaeology. The papers explored the challenges faced by archaeological sites as a result of a changing climate as well as some of the opportunities for discovery; the relationship between heritage and the wider environment, including biodiversity, and the long-term perspective on environmental change and human interaction that archaeology can bring.

The theme of the 21st EAC Heritage Symposium was ‘Public Benefit from development-led archaeology: moving the debate forward’ and the papers here reflect the challenges andopportunities this presents. As outlined in the Valletta Convention (Article 9) the public must be the key beneficiaries of archaeological work and the theoretical concept of public benefit has become well recognised across our profession but there is still some way to go to fully understand and maximise its potential. The concept note for the 21st Symposium asked attendees to reflect upon the challenge of positively shaping the future and embedding public benefit into our practice; from project inception through design and implementation to dissemination. The papers are a fascinating illustration of how public benefit is viewed across the member states, incorporating honest acknowledgements of some of the entrenched challenges involved with creating a new way of working.

The 20th EAC Symposium in Dublin was convened under a concept note that recognised that the State’s role in the management of archaeological monuments has many different forms throughout Europe. The different degrees of involvement across Europe are usually a product of an individual state’s history (often traced back to the 19th century), yet common to all jurisdictions are shared issues concerning conservation, protection, interpretation, sustainability and accessibility.

As a contribution to the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, the EAC organised its annual Symposium on a topic which is closely related to the objectives of this initiative. One of the sub-themes of the Amersfoort Agenda was: Know the public: analyse the wants, interests and expectations of stakeholders in society regarding their involvement in archaeology, preferably through interactions with these stakeholders. In the symposium, the idea was to look at the topic of development-led archaeology from a different angle and encourage a discussion between the heritage management officials, the developers, the archaeologists working in the field and the public. How can we meet the needs of these very different stakeholders and do we always need to? The symposium comprised three sessions, the first was dedicated to the archaeologists, the second to the developers and the third to the public.

The archaeological discipline puts effort into achieving the greatest possible scientific added value and supporting the potential values of archaeological heritage for society. However, choices have to be made at different stages and levels of the archaeological heritage management process. Several interests are at play when making these choices: science, society, financial, legal and logistical possibilities, public support. Choices are based on the weighing up of different factors such as values, interests and practical opportunity. A call to action for Europe’s archaeology was set out in the Amersfoort Agenda. It identifies the subject of ‘decision-making’ as one of the three key themes in meeting the current challenges facing archaeological heritage management in Europe. The symposium comprised three sessions exploring the various heritage management challenges under the topics of ‘The Decision Making Mechanisms’, ‘Research Questions for Excavations’ and ‘The Involvement of Society’.

The Amersfoort Agenda identifies digital technologies and the expanding phenomenon of online and social media as fundamental aspects of the future of archaeological endeavour. The aim of the 17th EAC Symposium in 2016 was to consider many of the challenges that this agenda raises through an ‘observatory’ of current digital archaeological practice and emerging or future trends. The unprecedented speed with which digital technologies are developing opens up many new possibilities and challenges for the conduct and presentation of archaeological research and investigation. The digital realm is one which knows few borders and so the sharing of understanding about these new methods, techniques and possibilities across Europe is extremely valuable. The contributions in this volume cover a wide geographical range of European countries from Sweden to Greece and Ireland to Moldova. The symposium comprised three sessions exploring the digital techniques and related heritage management challenges under three broad topics of ‘Measuring and Sensing’; ‘Data to Knowledge’ and ‘Visualizing the Past’.

Over the past decades, European archaeology has focused on different ways of researching and protecting sites in areas intended for construction and other forms of land development. This type of archaeology, which has become the predominant model of this scientific discipline, has been given different names all over Europe: for example preventive, rescue, commercial, contract, development-led. Whichever term we use to describe it – it is worth discussing. Therefore, the EAC chose it as the theme for its annual symposium in 2015, to complete a triptych of debates on the true effects of the Valletta Convention on European archaeology started in 2013-2014. The idea was to integrate the approach of the Valletta Convention, which shaped preventive archaeology policies as we know them, with the concept of heritage communities contained in the Faro Convention, which determines the 21st century holistic and participatory approach to heritage governance. The scope of issues tackled is quite broad, from pure legal analysis to emotions unleashed with archaeological discoveries related to the tragic history of Europe in the 20th century. Wide geographical representation is provided by authors from a range of countries extending from Portugal to Estonia.

More than two decades after the signing of the Valletta Convention the time was ripe to draw up a new agenda for how Europe should manage its archaeological heritage. With this purpose in mind, the EAC organised two symposiums that were attended by heritage managers from 25 European countries. The first was published as EAC9, and this volume publishes the results of the second symposium, a working conference held in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. The volume largely comprises the Amersfoort Agenda for managing the archaeological heritage in Europe. This agenda ties in with the ideas of the Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005). A link is also made with the ideas of the European Union, as expressed in the Conclusions on Cultural Heritage adopted by the Council of the European Union (2014) and a Communication adopted by the European Commission (2014). The zeitgeist calls for an acknowledgement of the multiple values of archaeological heritage for society and recognises the potential role of archaeological heritage in sustainable development. The Amersfoort Agenda has three themes into which the articles in the publication are arranged: 1. Embedding archaeology in society, 2. Dare to choose, and 3. Managing the sources of European history.

The Valletta Convention (1992) was the result of a process whic laid the foundation for contemporary archaeological preservation. The inclusion of archaeology in the process of spatial planning was an important milestone. In most European countries it meant a strong growth of archaeological research, including the emergence of commercial archaeology, while in situ conservation received increasing attention. However, the close interaction between archaeology and spatial planning has also brought some risks, for example due to economic recession. Now, in 2014, we can say that Valletta has become visible in all parts of archaeology. Not only are new residential quarters, industrial and infrastructural works archaeologically investigated, also within the field of public information and cultural tourism there are important achievements. The implications for education are great. Although the main focus within archaeological training lies in scientific research, there is a visible expansion of training for policy archaeologists. In this publication the main topics are addressed. Not only the successes, but also the challenges and possible solutions will be addressed. Due to articles written by experts from different parts of Europe, this publication provides the reader with a good view of the state of affairs in various countries.

The increasing numbers of reports on tampering with ancient monuments and archaeological materials may reflect more acts of plunder. But it could also reflect a higher incidence of reporting of such acts to competent authorities or a combination of them both. A third solution is of course that acts of plunder are currently deemed more newsworthy than before in our part of the world. And if this is the case, we must ask why has this become important now, and also, how does this influence our understanding of what is happening? The complexity of this problem and the ethical issues it raises require us to examine our view of the archaeological source material and archaeology as a profession in relation to society at large. This international conference set out to discuss the kind of measures that need to be taken and what the societal consequences of these may be.

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Unity in Diversity, the motto of the European Union, has, since World War II, seldom been as relevant as it is today. In these difficult economic times Europe is more and more confronted with the phenomenon that citizens openly stand up for the defence of their national and regional interests. This has put enormous pressure on the process of European integration and the concept of a shared European identity based on the cultures of individual EU member states. Thus, understanding the diversity of European cultural heritage and its presentation to the broadest audience represents a challenge that can be answered by diversified group of scientists, including archaeologists, historians, culturologists, museologists etc. By choosing “Heritage reinvents Europe” as the theme for the 12th EAC symposium in 2011, the EAC made its contribution to the understanding of the key concept of a shared European identity.

During the last decades, the number of large-scale excavations has increased significantly. Such excavations became an important element of archaeological cultural heritage management. This kind of large-area fi eldwork off ers not only new data, fi nds and additional archaeological sites, but also gives new insights into the interpretation of archaeological landscapes as a whole. Our view of the results of older excavations and our ideas on settlement structures and land use in the past has changed dramatically. New patterns concerning human “off site activities”, e.g. field systems, or types of sites which were previously underrepresented, can only be detected by large-scale excavations. Linear projects especially, such as pipelines and motorways, offer the possibility to extrapolate and propose models of land use and environment on the regional and macro-regional scale.

Remote sensing is one of the main foundations of archaeological data, under pinning knowledge and understanding of the historic environment. The volume, arising from a symposium organised by the EAC and the Aerial Archaeology Research Group (AARG), provides up to date expert statements on the methodologies, achievements and potential of remote sensing with a particular focus on archaeological heritage management. Well-established approaches and techniques are set alongside new technologies and data-sources, with discussion covering relative merits and applicability, and the need for integrated approaches to understanding and managing the landscape. Discussions cover aerial photography, both modern and historic, LiDAR, satellite imagery, multi-and hyper-spectral data, sonar and geophysical survey, addressing both terrestrial and maritime contexts. Case studies drawn from the contrasting landscapes of Europe illustrate best practice and innovative projects.

Some 40 per cent of Europe is farmed and 47 per cent forested. The future of the majority of Europe’s archaeological sites therefore depends on rural land uses that lie outside the spatial planning and development control systems of its various nation states. This volume, produced by the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) and Europae Archaeologiae Consilium (EAC) Joint Working Group on Farming, Forestry and Rural Land Management, from three group meetings, examines the challenges posed by agriculture, forestry and other rural land uses in terms of the long-term conservation of Europe’s archaeological sites and the management of its historic landscapes. Profusely illustrated and with contributions from no fewer than 13 different European countries, the volume will be essential reading for anyone concerned with contemporary heritage management, policy-making and legislation.

In 2008 the 9th EAC Heritage Symposium of the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium was devoted to the topic of the listing of archaeological sites and its role in protecting the archaeological landscape. This collection of papers presents an overview of the developments, emphases and current approaches to the topic in the different participating European countries. Keywords are legislation, GIS, implementation and historical landscape. Implementation is illustrated by some examples which show how listing can be used to protect valuable cultural landscapes.

The 2nd EAC symposium was devoted to landscape management in recognition of the new European Landscape Convention (Council of Europe 2000). Arising from the symposium, this volume highlights the important archaeological and historical depth of the European landscape sometimes overlooked by decision-makers in comparison to ecological and aesthetic aspects. It describes opportunities and obstacles that affect the landscape’s sustainable management and shows how heritage managers can support the Convention by helping to understand and promote landscape as a core element of Europe’s common heritage. A key message is that archaeologists need to take account of the growing democratic interest in the landscape and to work alongside other disciplines in pan-European landscape projects.

In November 1999, as part of its inaugural meeting, the newly constituted EAC held a one-day symposium on the archaeological heritage management of wetlands in Europe. The symposium was organised jointly with the Wetland Archaeology Research Project (WARP) and was held at the offices of the Council of Europe in Strasburg. The symposium comprised a number of regional views of heritage management issues and practices relating to wetland archaeology in Europe and explored the nature of the management problems facing European archaeologists working in a wetland context. The papers showed that although there are clear similarities in the wetland archeological resource across Europe, the critical issues relating to its management vary considerably from region to region. Delegates emphasised the urgent need to forge much closer links with nature conservation interests and in particular to make better use of the workings of the international Ramsar Convention on wetlands which promotes the conservation and wise use of wetlands in 123 countries worldwide.

On 25 November 1999, the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium (EAC) came into existence at an Inaugural Meeting in Strasbourg, France, at the Council of Europe. The event was attended by the directors and many representatives of the organisations charged by law with the management of the archaeological heritage from most of the European countries. The EAC is intended to be their forum for discussion and co-operation at the European level. Significantly, however, the event was also attended by several ministers responsible for the cultural heritage in their countries and by representatives from the Council of Europe and the European Union. This volume contains the speeches delivered at the Inaugural Meeting, as well as the EAC’s strategic plan, which was adopted at the meeting.