Page 298 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

Keeping the archives together
Archives must be kept together and intact as a collection and this creates very specific demands. It is a central point, both of the 2001 Convention and of the Rules of its Annex.
Archaeology and the understanding of a site are based on facts and interpretation. It is also a cumulative process. With new information becoming available, interpretation needs to be reviewed. This can be after many years. It will then again be important to know what the considerations were for an intervention and on what information and considerations the earlier interpretation was actually based.
Keeping the archives together facilitates their curation, and allows the cumulative information to be available for professionals and the public. This is why it is important for each new piece of information to be kept with all other information regarding a particular site. It is also the reason why Rule 34 specifically indicates that the management of the archives should be subject to authorization by the ‘competent authorities’ defined in Article 22 of the Convention.
Ensuring the security of the archive
Ensuring the security and stability of the archive is a continuous process. It is a universal responsibility. All archaeologists need to recognize that they must manage archive material. Record sheets, drawings, and digital records should be created to preserve their content and to protect it from damage and loss. Such records should be treated accordingly. This is as relevant on site as it is in the laboratory or museum.
Archive curating guidelines
Since the documentation and material archive of archaeological research is an irreplaceable source of information, its curation should warrant its future existence. International standards have been developed to that end.
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Curation of project archives