Developing Guidelines for Archaeological Shelters

A result from these initiatives was the recognized need for a publication that could guide heritage professionals and others through the process of sheltering archaeological sites—how to construct shelters to best protect mosaics remains a critical and not well understood issue.

Although general guidelines, case studies, and criteria have been published, there is no complete set of guidelines that are user-friendly, applicable to the range of professionals involved, and which cover the entire sheltering process—a process that includes what to consider when making the decision of whether or not to shelter, performance criteria and the architectural response, implementation, as well as post-construction evaluation and maintenance requirements.

The aim is to develop and disseminate practical guidelines and design criteria that can be broadly adopted and utilized, resulting in better informed decisions and better performing shelters.

Last updated: October 2014