Editorial
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1The twentieth anniversary of Inrap’s foundation has allowed us to observe, with some hindsight, the great successes and the transformations of preventive archaeology in France.
2Since 2002 the multiplication of infrastructural construction sites is one of these radical changes: be they large or small, should they concern the building of a motorway, the refurbishing of old town centres, the reclaiming of industrial fallow land or the construction of individual housing estates, these construction sites are often located in territories where human occupations were very dense in past millennia. This is not without consequences on the preservation of archaeological heritage.
3In the last twenty years, the various players in the archaeology chain (ministry, regional directorates of cultural affairs, Inrap, entitled local authorities) have continually adapted their organization to the new form of territorial planning. Through constructive dialogue between parties involved, they were capable of mobilizing teams of archaeologists in a restricted period of time and in sometimes difficult conditions. Via a constantly innovative approach, they ensured the preservation of fragile heritage and contributed greatly to scientific knowledge, while also permitting the carrying out of projects supporting development and embellishment.
4Entire sections of archaeological heritage, unpublished or poorly documented, are nowadays better known. Through the use of increasingly sophisticated technologies, the sites of ancient Prehistory are better detected, while new geographical areas, still unexplored, have been the focus of investigations. I would also mention of funerary archaeology, whose protocols and stakes have undergone profound renovation.
5The pages that follow plunge us into new domains of archaeological knowledge. This is the case of Lower Palaeolithic sites and deposits, which had hitherto been rarely investigated outside of planned excavations. This is also the case for research on Gallic and Roman towns and urban centres, which has seen deep changes, and for the recollection of palaeo-environmental data allowing us to understand our ancestors’ landscapes.
6One should also admire some of the most splendid discoveries of these last twenty years: I am thinking of the tomb of the Gallic prince at Lavau, which transformed and freshened our perception of Celtic aristocracy, but also of the ancient necropolis of La Robine in Narbonne, illustrating funerary rites unheard of in Gaul. The study of a few monuments also contributes to enrich our knowledge of heritage through the precise documentation of prestigious sites: the oppidum of Gergovie, the Nîmes amphitheatre, the Mont-Saint-Michel and Notre Dame of Paris were all the focus of preventive operations linked to restoration and valorisation. All these discoveries allow us, moreover, to imagine new forms of mediation between archaeologists, museums and the public at large.
7I wish to congratulate and thank for their contributions to this special issue the hundreds of authors, archaeologists from Inrap and the Ministry of Culture and other institutions. The issue is but a modest reflection of their immense work. They have all made us aware of the wealth and diversity of research in preventive archaeology carried out over our territory, of its extraordinary capacity to innovate and its essential contribution to the enrichment of our national heritage.
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Jean-François Hebert, « Editorial », Archéopages, Hors-série 6 | -1, 2.
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Jean-François Hebert, « Editorial », Archéopages [En ligne], Hors-série 6 | 2022, mis en ligne le 07 juillet 2023, consulté le 06 février 2025. URL : http://0-journals-openedition-org.catalogue.libraries.london.ac.uk/archeopages/11092 ; DOI : https://0-doi-org.catalogue.libraries.london.ac.uk/10.4000/archeopages.11092
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