Article 3 of Valetta

[Paul Barford]

quote:and then basically say 'oh yes, we do all that already'

Its hardly surprising because Valetta is a revision of th 1969 convention which contains much the same things and if you look at it in its wider European context at the time basically an attempt to impose the British model (which was then developing under the heavy influence of US CRM) on the rest of Europe. Which makes the UK's later feet dragging over the later revision so difficult to understand. Article 3 of the 1969 document was basically the same idea but more vaguely phrased and Britain ratified the first version (right away I think) and did not do anything about introducing these measures then either.
This is what it said:
"ARTICLE 3
To give full scientific significance to archaeological excavations in the sites, areas and zones designated in accordance with Article 2 of this Convention, each Contracting Party undertakes, as far as possible, to:
* prohibit and restrain illicit excavations;
* take the necessary measures to ensure that excavations are, by special authorisation, entrusted only to qualified persons;
* ensure the control and conservation of the results obtained."

Paul Barford