Infrastructural measures, construction projects or modern forms of land and forest management may damage or irretrievably destroy archaeological culture assets. Floods and fires can also threat-en archival documents of human history that are already stored - presumably safely - in museums or archives.

Archaeological objects are repeatedly the target of probe runners and illegal excavations, even in Germany. In 2002, investigators succeeded in securing a circular bronze plate in Switzerland. Since then, the so-called “Nebra Sky Disk” illustrates just how detailed the knowledge of astronomy was four millennia ago. At the same time, chemical analyses show that trading in precious metals already existed throughout Europe at that time.

Archaeological structures and relics in the soil represent a unit of meaning in the context of their discovery, whether on dry land or under water. Excavations are always irreversible intrusions into the find context. In illegal excavations, all information about the find context is permanently lost.

The working group "Archaeological Cultural Heritage" is working on the following publications:

• “Traces under Water - Exploring and Protecting the Cultural Heritage in the North Sea and Baltic Sea” (Discussion Paper)
• Disaster Prevention and Risk Management for our Cultural Heritage (Statement)
• Illegal Excavations and illegal Trafficking (Statement)
• Archaeological Heritage in Education and Research (Statement)

Institutions

German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina

Spokespersons of the Working Group

• Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger ML, Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz
• Prof. Dr. Friederike Fless, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut
• Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Gehrke ML, Universität Freiburg

Members

• Dr. Martin Bachmann, Koldewey Gesellschaft, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI) - Martin Bachmann unexpectedly passed away on 3 August 2016 (obituary of the DAI)
• Dr. Roland Bernecker, UNESCO-Deutschland, Bonn
• Prof. Dr. Peter Funke, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
• Prof. Dr. Markus Hilgert, Kulturstiftung der Länder
• Prof. Dr. Matthias Knaut, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft, Berlin
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Kunow, Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege im Rheinland, Bonn
• Prof. Dr. Dr. Sabine Freifrau von Schorlemer, TU Dresden

ML = Member of the Leopoldina