For 13 years now, the European Archaeology Days (EAD) have invited the public to plunge into the past and explore the material traces left behind by societies since prehistoric times. Over three days, more than a thousand events are offered to everyone throughout France and Europe: excavation sites exceptionally open to the public, educational and fun activities, meetings with researchers, discoveries of laboratories, exhibitions, projections, etc.
A European dynamic
The protection, conservation and transmission of archaeological heritage is of central importance for Europe. Indeed, in a time marked by crises in public health, culture and the economy, the archaeological approach and the long-term perspective, can be a source of openness, tolerance and mutual understanding: a common good to be shared.
Despite the health crisis, the opening of the EAD across Europe has continued. Europe’s countries have largely mobilised to celebrate archaeology in all its forms. In 2022, more than 30 countries took part in the EAD, with almost 1,500 separate events held. Walking in the footsteps of our past during the EADs lastly means pushing beyond our borders so that, all across Europe, we can once again take advantage of cultural and heritage sites and come in direct contact with the researchers and people who shape our archaeological heritage.
An event on a European scale dedicated to archaeology can thus contribute to the development of the concept of archaeological heritage while also promoting individual cultural and historical diversity.