Excavations are also for private individuals! – 2024-03-29 10:58:53

The reaction of the Association of Greek Archaeologists to the bill of the Ministry of Culture is intense as it considers that, among other things, it opens the way for excavations to pass to private individuals.

In particular, he argues that the ministry is trying to set up Public or Private Legal Entities that will facilitate the undertaking of rescue excavations by private individuals in conflict with the express provision of the Constitution and the Archaeological Law which provides that rescue excavations are carried out only by the Archaeological Service .

That is why SEA requests the withdrawal of these articles as unconstitutional.

“Behind the provisions of article 27 of the bill, in combination with the authorizing provisions of article 30, the Ministry of the Interior is trying to institutionalize Legal Entities of Public or Private Law, with administrations appointed by the government, which will be established specifically to undertake the work of rescue excavations, and even in third-party projects. The way is thus opened, so that not only the excavation work and the protection of antiquities, in the context of large public or private projects, will leave the hands of the local Ephorates of Antiquities, but in addition it will be “governed” by appointed Boards of Directors in which they will be able to even the company concerned, public or private, participates” he notes in the announcement and emphasizes that the matter is very serious for the very existence of the archaeological services.