Safety of archaeological heritage
PREVENTION AND COMBATING LOOTING AND DAMAGE TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
The looting of archaeological sites feeds real international channels of illicit trafficking of cultural property.
As in other countries of the world, the fight against illegal archaeological detection and illicit trafficking of archaeological heritage represents in France a major challenge for the preservation of archaeological and historical heritage.
This is why the Ministry of Culture regularly sensitizes the public, institutions and professional actors, recalls the risks incurred while delivering a message calling for vigilance and the safeguarding of the archaeological heritage.
Indeed, archaeological data represent a finite resource that is therefore not inexhaustible and the search for archaeological objects as such is not an end in itself.
When prevention remains ineffective, he initiates legal proceedings, in close connection with the police, gendarmerie and customs services as well as the magistrates.
Together we protect archaeological heritage, a fragile and non-renewable cultural asset.
Archaeological heritage: a fragile and non-renewable asset (Dec. 2018)