Life after Life of Archaeological Archives – Accessibility and Re-use of Archaeological Collections in Heritage Management: Preface

It is my great honour and pleasure to introduce the proceedings of the European Archaeological Council’s (EAC) 26th Heritage Management Symposium, which took place in 2025 in Gdańsk, Poland. In the magnificent Artus Court, EAC members convened to discuss important topics concerning archaeological archiving and the accessibility and re-use of archaeological collections in heritage management.

The event was kindly hosted by the Museum of Gdańsk, which itself serves as an archive of collections documenting the city’s history from the Middle Ages to contemporary times. Gdańsk, as a heritage city par excellence, can be seen as a living archive both above and below the surface. What better location to discuss a topic of such significance to archaeological heritage managers across Europe, as well as to the general public?

This volume is a collection of articles offering a rich source of examples, reflections and inspiration, covering every aspect of archiving. The articles address sustainable and FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reuseable)-based management of archaeological data and archives, challenges and opportunities in heritage data management, possibilities for community engagement, and the role of archives as a resource for innovation and policy development.

Within this volume, you will also find reflections from the insightful discussions held during workshops on sustainability and climate change, landscape management and spatial planning, citizen science and public benefit, and heritage crime. The outcomes of this process will guide EAC’s work in the coming years. The workshops enabled us to identify better the specific needs of EAC members regarding these topics. It was inspiring to observe the wealth of knowledge, expertise and experience present, which can be shared collaboratively to enhance and refine our professional practices.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the scientific coordinators of the symposium, Dr Agnieszka Oniszczuk, Agnieszka Makowska and Dr David Novák, for their outstanding work in organizing the symposium as well as collecting and editing the papers for this volume. I also wish to express my deep gratitude to all the authors for their contributions, and for sharing their experiences and insights, from which we can all now benefit in our day-to-day work.

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• Keywords: archaeology, archiving, heritage management, FAIR data, community engagement, sustainability
• Accepted: November 2025. Published: March 2026
• Funding: The publication of this article is funded by the European Archaeological Council.