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Research article2012Peer reviewed

The RAAR Project - Heritage Management Aspects on Reburial After Ten Years of Work

Godfrey, Inger Nystrom; Bergstrand, Thomas; Petersson, Hakan; Bohm, Carola; Christensson, Eva; Bjordal, Charlotte Gjelstrup; Gregory, David; MacLeod, Ian; Peacock, Elizabeth E.; Richards, Vicki

Abstract

The general purpose of the international reburial project, Reburial and Analyses of Archaeological Remains (RAAR), is to evaluate reburial as a method for the long-term storage and preservation of waterlogged archaeological remains. Since 2001 material samples have been buried, retrieved, analysed systematically, and the results reported.RAAR has mainly focused on the degradation of materials commonly encountered on archaeological sites, and on environmental monitoring techniques in order to determine what type of material can be reburied and for how long. The project has concluded that a heritage institution could provide short-or long-term curation for its archaeological archive by using reburial depots provided they are set up according to guidelines and restrictions stipulated by the RAAR project.However, there are management and legal aspects that need to be discussed and resolved before each reburial project. Actual reburials that have been carried out so far are often a solution to emergency situations and lack collection and management policies. The questions 'what', 'why', and 'for how long' have been forgotten and need to be addressed. The legal protection of a reburial site is also important. This paper discusses these aspects and their consequences and highlights possible differences in approaches between the countries involved in the RAAR project.

Keywords

reburial; heritage management; underwater archaeological heritage

Published in

Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites
2012, Volume: 14, number: 1, pages: 360-371 Publisher: MANEY PUBLISHING

      SLU Authors

    • Björdal Gjelstrup, Charlotte

      • Department of Forest Products, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Archaeology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/1350503312Z.00000000032

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/118105