Jointly organized on Monday, 22 December, by the College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP) at Tongji University and the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, Shanghai centre (WHITR-AP Shanghai), Professor Nathan Schlanger, Professor of Archaeology at the École Nationale des Chartes in Paris, France, gave a lecture titled “Excavating the City: Historical and legal development of preventive archaeology in an urban context” in the WHITR-AP’ lecture hall. 

The aim of this talk was to present the history and principles of preventive archaeology in France and internationally, with a particular focus on preventive archaeology in an urban context, which raises challenges of continuity, permanence, and renewal within densely populated, economically active, and culturally significant urban settings.

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Furthermore, the objective of the talk was to introduce how preventive archaeology (also referred to as rescue or salvage archaeology), planned and implemented ahead of infrastructure and construction works, is based on a specific legal framework requiring the rapprochement of actors involved so as to combine scientific research, heritage management, and public outreach. Professor Schlanger gave a very comprehensive overview of the history of archaeology in Europe and worldwide campaigns. He highlighted how the purpose of archaeology was not only the study of unique elements but also of representative elements and was not limited to the study of ancient things but of what can be found, ranging from contemporary artefacts, underwater, and built elements, and so forth.

Finally, he showcased social and community-focused initiatives to illustrate the outreach principles of archaeology in France, which prioritizes not only high-level research but also public participation and knowledge sharing.

The lecture, which gathered around 30 participants in person and 80 participants online, was followed by a lively debate with the audience, moderated by Professor Yang Chen of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, and Marie-Noël Tournoux, Project Director at WHITR-AP Shanghai.

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Professor of Archaeology at the École Nationale des Chartes, Paris, France

Professor Nathan Schlanger is the Professor of Archaeology at the École Nationale des Chartes, Paris, France, formerly in charge of International Research and Development at INRAP, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. His fields of interest and publications include prehistoric technology and material culture studies, the history and archives of archaeology, and archaeological heritage management in an international perspective. He recently published, with Professor Vincent Négri, an extensive book on the history and development of the legal frameworks for archaeology in France “1941, Genèse et développements d’une loi sur l’archéologie” (The origins and the development of a law on archeology), published by the Documentation française, 2024. He is also a member of ICOMOS France and has undertaken monitoring missions for World Heritage sites as an ICOMOS expert on cases related to impact assessments.

Professor Yang Chen, Associated Professor at CAUP

Ms. Marie-Noël Tournoux, Project Director at WHITR-AP Shanghai