Conserving the in Situ Archaeological Record

In the 20th century, archaeologists made great strides in learning to understand the material record of past human life. Concurrently, destruction of the archaeological record increased as population growth, economic development, and looting took a rising toll. During the past one hundred years, most countries established laws to protect at least major archaeological sites and to curtail illegal excavation and export of antiquities. Although often ineffective in practice, these laws formally recognized a national interest in archaeological conservation. By the end of the century, some nations, primarily in the developed world, had fairly effective legal and bureaucratic systems for balancing the value of in-place conservation of significant archaeological sites against economic developments that would destroy them. The creation of organizations such as ICOMOS and ICCROM and the promulgation of standards and agreements such as the World Heritage Convention built a framework within which archaeological conservation could be pursued at an international level, both complementing and reinforcing national efforts. Hence, the past century was a time of great progress in conservation of the archaeological record. But what of the future? Below, I briefly characterize the archaeological record and the threats to it, and then consider its fate in the 21st century.Lipe, William D. 2000. Conserving the in situ Archaeological Record. Conservation: The Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter 15(1):17-2