Preserving our in situ archaeological heritage: a challenge to the geochemical engineer

Empirical evidence has shown that industrialization and changes in agricultural practices have caused worldwide dramatic changes in the burial conditions of the archaeological remains. The current understanding of the problem, however, is not sufficiently advanced, which hinders adequate measures to prevent a tremendous loss of archaeological information. In the beginning of the nineties, research programmes were started to gain insight into the deterioration of different kinds of organic and inorganic components, representing a great variety of archaeomaterials. Knowledge of the present-day preservation condition of the remains will create the scientific basis for an environmental risk assessment of archaeological sites. It also will be the basis for developing strategies for the monitoring of a well-defined number of endangered sites. Such a monitoring system particularly is needed at places where geotechnical measures, like the local up-levelling of the soil and the creation of an artificially high ground water table, have been carried out to protect the archaeological heritage.