Archaeological heritage in the European Union

ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Ivan Radman-Livaja, Jacqueline Balen

We may rightly claim that nowadays the majority of Europeans live within one political entity which unites most countries of our continent. For the most part, its inhabitants perceive the European Union primarily as a common market administered by an association of nations which decided to conceive and share a joint legal framework pertaining primarily to economics and free trade. This perception is hardly wrong and nobody would deny that economic matters, or rather the wish to expand trade and improve economy have laid the foundations of the European Union. Nonetheless, there is much more about it. 

The European Union is above all a political project aiming to provide stability and peace to the Old Continent in order to preserve democracy and insure progress. The latter does not only concern economy, but every aspect of the lives of European citizens, from human and social rights to health, education, scientific research and culture. Regrettably, most Europeans do not realise how much the existence of the European Union has contributed to the development of science and what a positive influence it has on every facet of culture. 

Archaeology as a scientific discipline is also inseparable of cultural heritage and it has benefited greatly of the framework installed by the European Union over the past decades. 

The Festival of EU Archaeology and the desire to present the common heritage of our continent was in many ways inspired by the sentiment that our field of work, archaeological research and preservation of cultural heritage has been tremendously changed for the better by the establishment of structures set up by the European Union. These do not only offer the possibility to form close professional ties between archaeologists from 27 countries but also to share knowledge and obtain substantial funding for research and cultural heritage management. One may ask, why should archaeology be important to the European Union? Despite many wars and dramatic events over the centuries and even millennia, our history and heritage shaped the values and mindsets of modern Europeans who have far more in common than they might think at first and archaeology certainly provides arguments for such a statement. As a matter of fact, archaeology is the study and interpretation of that heritage for the benefit of society as a whole. Generally speaking, the knowledge and understanding of the origins and development of human societies is fundamental in identifying the cultural and social roots of humanity as a whole. 

Archaeological heritage – as part of material heritage – provides the primary information about past societies and comprises all the vestiges and remains of human existence and activities, be it places, i.e. sites and structures as well as associated portable cultural material. It constitutes the basic record of all past human activities and its protection and suitable management are essential to enable scholars to study and interpret it, not only on behalf and for the benefit of our present generation but also on behalf of all the future generations. One should always emphasise that archaeological heritage is an extremely delicate and non-renewable cultural resource. It is also the common heritage of all humankind, as defined in Article 1 of the 1992 European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage. In this respect, international cooperation is crucial if one wants to develop and maintain high standards in archaeological heritage research and management.  

Our heritage is rooted in the human environment and cultural landscape by its very nature and it represents an important factor, not only in the formation of cultural values of different communities but also in the identity of individuals.  

Furthermore, presentation of archaeological heritage to the general public is essential in promoting the understanding of origins and development of our societies and, at the same time, it is the most important means of emphasising the need for its protection. When well managed, heritage may become a sustainable development resource for local communities. In the last decade, the Council of Europe and the European Union have adopted a series of political documents confirming the importance of heritage for Europe’s future. 

It is no exaggeration claiming that cultural heritage may be regarded as a source of collective European ideals, principles and values. Archaeologists are supposed to translate the ancient material remains into histories and those narratives told by archaeologists are capable of reflecting, relating and informing the social and political structures of the present in order to influence positively their actions. In reconstructing past worlds, archaeology - influenced by current social and political values - reflects the knowledge and values of today's world, i.e. archaeology, by interpreting the past, reflects on existing and potential social and cultural condition of present and future worlds. By the nature of their research, archaeologists may achieve particular insight into human conditions (physical, environmental and social) and human social organisation from a deep time perspective. Archaeology can analyse how social transformations have taken place and the conditions in which they take place. With the acquisition of that knowledge archaeology may propose ways how the well-being of societies can be achieved peacefully by respecting equality and diversity. Due to that, archaeologists may predict to some extent a wide range of possible developmental scenarios for the future and it is precisely why archaeologists as citizens have a major political responsibility. 

Undoubtedly, cultural heritage is open to many interpretations and perspectives. Sadly, we are currently witnessing some interpretations which fall into the domain of divisive historical revisionism, characterised by ethnic and social exclusion, the negation of human rights and cultural diversity, as well as denigration of democracy and the rule of law. Archaeologists and all other heritage specialists, as academically trained experts, do not have only the intellectual capacity but also the duty to reflect on such developments and to criticize readings of the past whose sole purpose is to serve malicious political agendas. By creating accessible, diverse, dynamic and participatory knowledge and by focusing on the social relevance of its discipline, responsible archaeology should aim to widen discourses and respectful dialogue.