Archaeological Principles

Not until the early 20th century did archaeologists begin to adopt scientific methodology in their work. Only as late as the 1960s did technological advances such as radiocarbon dating become available as an aid to archaeologists. Although statistical analysis is nowadays commonly applied, archaeology is still in metamorphosis.

Modern archaeology encompasses ethical, legal, and practical dimensions. These must be viewed in the contexts of archaeology as a profession, archaeological ethics and the relationship between archaeology and the public. Modern archaeology is thus evolving into much more than an academic discipline – it involves society at large.

Franck Goddio sees archaeology not only as a specialized academic discipline, but as a profession, the members of which work on behalf of the public and with their trust. The goal of his work is not only to gain knowledge about the past, about demised cultures, their lifestyle, the structure of their society and its development, but also to disseminate this knowledge. The archaeological value of excavation work lies foremost in the professionalism with which the work is carried out and in its underlying results and findings. Furthermore, Franck Goddio feels a strong need to bridge the gap between academic archaeology and society at large. Education of the public with a view to opening minds to the understanding of the past is one vital part of the system approach he has developed for his archaeological work.

Funding

Because of their cultural and scientific significance, Franck Goddio’s projects are being made possible by funds from the Hilti Foundation, an organization established by the Martin Hilti Family Trust. The Trust holds all registered shares of the Liechtenstein-based Hilti Corporation, a leading supplier of specialist equipment for the construction industry worldwide. Thanks to this privately-funded patronage, Franck Goddio’s archaeological work can be carried out on a strictly non-profit basis. Funding is budget-based according to projected research activities.

Standards of professionalism and partnerships

Franck Goddio’s excavation work is founded on legal provisions which regulate underwater excavation and on international archaeological standards. For example, Franck Goddio adheres to the principles set out by the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage (www.unesco.org/culture/en/underwater/film). The sites are not excavated merely to conserve artefacts, but also to find answers to relevant research questions.

Franck Goddio works with professionals and draws on their expertise in the respective fields. Archaeologists, Egyptologists, historians, geologists, geophysicists, computer engineers and many more, all have their place in the team.

The existing team was augmented in 2003 by the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology (www.arch.ox.ac.uk/ocma.html), an organization set up by the University of Oxford, the Hilti Foundation and the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM) to allow students to undertake research on artefacts discovered by Franck Goddio’s team and to participate in fieldwork on excavation assignments. The Centre provides a platform for doctoral dissertations, lectures, conferences and publications in the field of Maritime Archaeology.

This network of experts reaches much further, however, and includes scientists from all over the world, each highly regarded in their own fields. Scientific publications are issued in cooperation with these experts.

What happens to the artefacts?

Franck Goddio’s excavation projects have a strictly non-commercial purpose and his work is always carried out in cooperation with the national authorities in whose territorial waters the exploration is taking place. As legal regulations are sometimes very liberal and the legal framework thus cannot totally protect underwater cultural heritage, Franck Goddio has developed the following principles:

In countries which keep all artefacts found, the items are to be placed automatically in national museums by the relevant institutions.

Some countries, as a principle, share the retrieved artefacts in accordance with their national laws and regulations. Policy here is that these countries always receive priority for unique items or items of high historic value as well as a complete, representative collection from the applicable archaeological excavations carried out (in some countries, wisely, these rights are laid down in their national laws and regulations). It is Franck Goddio’s policy to place his share of the artefacts in traveling exhibitions and to ensure that these eventually remain permanently in a museum in a country interested. He expects interested parties such as corporations, institutions or individuals to become involved in sponsoring these temporary or permanent exhibitions.

Moreover, Franck Goddio provides information to the public through all media. He also recommends that exhibitions should take place on a global basis.

System approach

The ethics of Franck Goddio’s archaeological work are laid out in the following system approach: