Russian scientists are sounding the alarm over new rules for archaeological work

Russian archaeologists are alarmed by two government regulations that radically change the approach to archaeological exploration and historical and cultural examination. The first document cancels the mandatory status of these procedures if the work is planned on lands intended for agriculture and a number of other purposes. The second resolution – still at the stage of public discussion – allows a business or land owner to independently decide on the need for archaeological survey in territories “possessing signs of an archaeological heritage site.” Scientists fear that the new rules could lead to damage or destruction of historical monuments.

Last week, the Russian government decree “On the specifics of the procedure for determining the presence or absence of objects that have characteristics of archaeological heritage” came into force. The document limits the list of objects that require mandatory archaeological exploration and historical and cultural examination “in areas subject to the impact of survey, excavation, construction, reclamation, and economic works.” Thus, examination is no longer required on lands intended for peasant or farm farming, personal subsidiary farming, gardening and vegetable gardening, individual and garage housing construction. Agricultural lands that are used for agricultural production, hunting, and so on are also exempt from arch-survey. The document also allows not to conduct arch-reconnaissance and examination for work that requires a depth of up to 50 cm.

Archaeological exploration is carried out with the aim of discovering previously unknown places where archaeological monuments or objects may be located, as well as determining their condition and significance. Archaeological survey and historical and cultural examination are carried out by archaeological specialists on the order of “an interested government body, local government body, legal entity or individual,” which pays for this research.

The explanatory note to the resolution states that “in the current difficult economic conditions of economic sanctions against the Russian Federation,” the new procedure will allow optimizing costs “for investment activities.” This will be achieved by “assessing the real risks of damage… to archaeological heritage sites and assessing the non-production costs of financing the costs of archaeological field work and state historical and cultural expertise.”

Yesterday, the public discussion of another government resolution important for archeology ended. The draft of this document states: the decision on the need to conduct arch-reconnaissance and historical and cultural examination of objects that have signs of archaeological heritage is made by the customers themselves, including developers. The summary report explains that the project aims to “optimize state historical and cultural examination procedures” and that “reducing administrative barriers contributes to economic development.” The results of the discussion have not yet been published.

Let us note: the Federal Law “On Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Peoples of the Russian Federation” adopted in 2002 obligated the issue of conducting a historical and cultural examination of any land plot to be raised before the start of construction and other work. The final decision was made by local monument protection authorities. But in 2018, amendments were made to the law – deputies left the mandatory examination only for those territories “in relation to which… there is reason to assume the presence of objects of archaeological heritage or objects that have signs of an object of archaeological heritage.”

Both government regulations caused alarm among Russian archaeologists. Pavel Kolosnitsyn, a researcher at the Center for Archaeological Research at NovSU, notes that the historical and cultural examination of lands subject to destructive influences – for example, construction or mining – is an important mechanism for the protection of archaeological monuments. “However, examination and archaeological research make the implementation of projects more expensive and increase the time frame. Therefore, for several years there have been attempts to limit the mandatory nature of the examination and the need to conduct preliminary archaeological research,” says the scientist. Mr. Kolosnitsyn believes that removing the categories of lands mentioned in the project from examination and archeological exploration threatens damage or destruction of unknown archaeological monuments: “The fact is that not all of them have been discovered. Archaeologists annually find hundreds of previously unknown sites, medieval settlements, villages and burial grounds. Based on the text of the law, now examination and archaeological survey are not required, for example, for excavation work with a depth of no more than 0.5 m. And most rural archaeological sites have a layer just up to 0.5 m.” Also, the archaeologist is not sure that, given the “voluntary” nature of the examinations, business will seriously consider the idea of ​​conducting scientific research at the construction or mining site.

“These innovations unjustifiably increase the risk of losing an archaeological heritage unknown to us,” Konstantin Mikhailov, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights and one of the founders of Archnadzor, told Kommersant. “To assume a priori that nothing can exist at a depth of less than half a meter, or to assume that that since economic work had already been carried out there, everything was destroyed, it’s too straightforward.” The expert recalled that in recent years significant archaeological finds have been made in Moscow “exactly where no one suspected that something could be found.” Thus, a huge treasure of tiles from the 17th century was found near the Taganskaya metro station during ordinary household work. “Therefore, it seems to me that measures aimed at making life easier for developers and private owners are taken by the legislator through the path of least resistance,” says Mr. Mikhailov. “The problem of very high prices for archaeological work has long been discussed, but if this is so, then it was necessary to regulate these prices, but in no way cancel the archaeological research itself. There was also a sensible proposal to create archaeological units in regional monument protection authorities in order to create archaeological maps of the area. Then it would really be clear in advance where you can stumble upon something valuable and where not. But in this form, the risk of losing monuments simply increases – and it is completely unclear how to compensate for it. It is still not possible to expect that all private owners, developers and site owners will be so civically conscious and in love with history that they will begin to organize archaeological research on their own initiative.”

Emilia Gabdullina