Page 296 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

for archiving is included in all documentation and handling of documents and finds. Final archiving and repository should follow as quickly as possible the conclusion of research and conservation. Under no circumstances should this be later than ten years from the completion of the project, preferably much earlier.
A project has not been completed until the archive has been transferred successfully and is fully accessible for consultation. It is in the interests of all parties to facilitate the transfer of completed archives to recognized repositories as quickly as possible. It may therefore be appropriate for an archive to be deposited before the project has been fully published. In such instances, a copy of the publication must subsequently be added.
Archiving guidelines
Archives are part of any administration. A long history of archival traditions exists and archivists work according to standards that have been agreed upon internationally. The very special aspect of archaeological archives is, however, that finds, samples and artefacts are considered to be ‘data carriers’, just as documents or digital media are.
Rule 34. the project archives shall be ma- naged according to international professional standards, and subject to the authorization of the competent
authorities.
All archaeological projects must result in a stable, ordered, accessible archive. Archaeological prac- titioners must accept their responsibilities in this regard. Competent authorities should make sure that they do. Documents that set out requirements or standards for archaeological work, or that underlie archaeological permits, should therefore reflect this principle.
Standards for the preparation, creation and ma- nagement of the archive must be understood and agreed upon at the beginning of any project. Lines of
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Curation of project archives