KNOW IT

The archaeological heritage of each city, the result of slow stratification, is limited and has a tendency to disappear in the course of new building construction and new developments. Modern construction methods (mechanical diggers, underground garages…) have been speeding up this process for around the last fifty years.

 Also, archaeological work has become more and more subject to the administrative processes regulating the development and management of the region.

 Must all of the urban heritage be preserved ? Certainly not ! That would mean freezing and stifling the city’s development. But, at the same time, before destroying them, we mustn’t lose any elements that contribute to our understanding of the roots and materials that make up the identity of each ancient centre. Architectural creation should in its turn be designed to be absorbed into this urban sedimentation. This will be much better done if the archaeological context, visible or not, is known.