EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives
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​In the last decades, the number of archaeological excavations has increased considerably and the standards of analysing and recording have improved. This has resulted in the growing volume of archaeological archives, including written or graphic documentation both analogue and digital, archaeological finds and samples of various natures. These heterogeneous collections are extremely precious, being often the only testimony left to witness archaeological heritage that has been destroyed.
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Archiving issues were discussed in 2007 during the EAC Symposium in Metz. The symposium revealed that the EAC members share the same main issues and that the development of best practice guidance and an overarching standard for European archaeological archives was a desirable goal. This led to the formation of an EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives.
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​Guidelines for archaeological archiving - the ARCHES project
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The activities of the EAC-working party for archaeological archives resulted in the EU co-funded ARCHES project to establish common standards and guidance for the creation, preparation and deposition of archaeological archives in Europe.
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The resulting "Standard and Guide to Best Practice in Archaeological Archiving in Europe" was published online on 31st May 2014 as the EAC Guidelines 1. The text is available in nine languages.
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Guidance on selection in archaeological archiving
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In 2021, the Working Group produced guidance on selection in archaeological archiving (EAC Guidelines 3). The aim of these guidelines is to provide advice on intelligent selection, to help to balance these two equally important issues, to make the case for continued support for our shared archaeological legacy, and to ensure that future generations, with future technology and capabilities, can continue to generate real public benefit from the work of archaeologists past, present and future.
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Digital archives
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In 2024, the Working Group issued Revisiting the Valletta Convention for the Digital Age: Position statement on archiving primary archaeological data (EAC Guidelines 6). It proposes a set of basic principles for the handling of primary documentary archives and recommends practical measures to be taken in the legislative and organisational framework and derived archaeological practice.
Co-chairs
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Agnieszka Oniszczuk, PL (chair)
David Novák, CZ (co-chair)
Members
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Peter Bisták, SK
René Ployer, AT
Kaatje De Langhe, BE (Flanders)
Barbara Gumbert, NL (Leiden)
Rhonda Robinson, UK (Northern Ireland)
Claire Tsang, UK (England)
Juliane Watson, DE
Corresponding members:
Till Scholz, CH
Marcus Smith, SE
Agnes Stefansdottir, ISL
Christoph Blesl, AT
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Contact
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E-mail the Working Group for Archaeological Archives at: aoniszczuk@nid.pl and novak@arup.cas.cz
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Current work of the Group (March 2025)
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In recent years, the working group has mainly focused on the processes leading to the transfer of archaeological archives to long-term repositories. Now, the group is returning to this exact point of an archaeological project to examine the role of physical repositories in heritage management. Not only the way in which they share the information and stories behind archaeological archives to researchers and the general public, but also the sustainability of long-term curation and the relationship between its cost and the development-led archaeology.
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A survey, aimed at the managers of archaeological repositories, is drafted and will be distributed this spring. Further steps will include, processing the gathered data and drafting a new set of guidelines.
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We would also like to call for new candidates for our working group. Anyone with a keen interest in archaeological repositories and their role in broadening public support for archaeology is most welcome.
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Downloads
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