Effects of the ratification of the Malta Convention in 2007 on excavation size in The Netherlands: An analysis of excavation reports from 1999 and 2008

In 1992 the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, also known as the Malta Convention, was held. The treaty was signed by The Netherlands the same day. However, it was not ratified until 2007, and implemented in a new set of laws known as the revised Monument Act of 2007. This act ensured that the principles behind Malta, mainly aimed at preservation of archaeology for the future, were now legal boundaries through which archaeology was practiced. The developments in archaeology had started before the Convention 1992, at least for The Netherlands. And at the point of ratification in 2007, a lot of changes in regards to archaeological process had taken place. Archis, the database for registering all archaeological research, started in the beginning of the 90’s, followed by quality regulations for reports set up by the KNA at the turn of the millenium, and since the last decade a system of regulated private companies has been working alongside the...Show moreIn 1992 the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage, also known as the Malta Convention, was held. The treaty was signed by The Netherlands the same day. However, it was not ratified until 2007, and implemented in a new set of laws known as the revised Monument Act of 2007. This act ensured that the principles behind Malta, mainly aimed at preservation of archaeology for the future, were now legal boundaries through which archaeology was practiced. The developments in archaeology had started before the Convention 1992, at least for The Netherlands. And at the point of ratification in 2007, a lot of changes in regards to archaeological process had taken place. Archis, the database for registering all archaeological research, started in the beginning of the 90’s, followed by quality regulations for reports set up by the KNA at the turn of the millenium, and since the last decade a system of regulated private companies has been working alongside the previous monopolists: the government and the universities. These changes have caused archaeologists to approach excavations in a different way. But the question of how these changes have impacted archaeology are still being answered. It is believed that the amount of excavations has risen in the last decades, but that the size in excavations has decreased. Trying to touch on the subject of excavation size, this thesis is aimed at answering the question: Has the ratification of the Malta Convention, in 2007, and the revised monument act, which followed the ratification, caused a decrease in the size of excavations between the years 1999 and 2008? This thesis is based on excavation reports from the years 1999 and 2008. These reports have all necessary data pertaining to the size of excavations. The two years also give a good overview of the difference between the data in reports before and after the ratification of the Malta Convention. The data shows that there is an increase in excavation size between 1999 and 2008. In both urban and rural settings. Where the main discussion was leaning towards the impression that large-scale excavations are a thing of the past, nothing seems less likely. It is however very interesting to see the time needed to excavate these larger areas. And the assumption that excavations are becoming smaller seems to be more related to the difference in temporal factors, than in actual square meters.Show less

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Effects of the ratification of the Malta Convention in 2007 on excavation size in The Netherlands: An analysis of excavation reports from 1999 and 2008