The implementation of the Malta Convention in The Netherlands: historical context and current practice

The Netherlands signed the so-called ‘Malta Convention’ in 1992. This event marked the start of major changes in the archaeological sector in The Netherlands. Prior to 2001 only the national government, universities and local municipalities were permitted to perform archaeological excavations. However, in 2001 new temporary rules were introduced allowing commercial archaeological companies to conduct archaeological fieldwork under certain conditions. The entire Archaeological Heritage Management Cycle in The Netherlands consists of a process of stepwise intensification of archaeological work. Excavations (= preservation ex situ) will only be performed if a valuable archaeological site cannot be preserved underground (= preservation in situ). The number of commercial archaeological companies licensed to perform archaeological fieldwork grew steadily over the years. These companies perform a growing proportion of desk research and fieldwork, now accounting for almost 90% of all archaeological research carried out in The Netherlands. In the year 2017, there were 4,225 archaeological projects registered in The Netherlands.