AIC's 44th Annual Meeting

This paper discusses the unique challenges of emergency response planning for archaeological sites. Field conservation diverges from museum conservation for many reasons. These include the seasonal nature of excavations, limited access to materials and equipment, and the fact that excavated structures and on-site records may be a higher priority for preservation than excavated artifacts. A response plan designed for an archaeological site must therefore take a different shape, structuring itself around the site’s specific preservation goals and taking into account the perspectives of all stakeholders. It must address risks that are unique to the site and region and make use of resources that are readily available. Most importantly, it must be inclusive of the people living in the local area, because they may be the only first responders available at many sites. To illustrate these unique challenges, I will present a case study that details my experience building a response plan for the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology (JIAA) at Kaman-Kalehöyük, Turkey. Located approximately ninety miles southeast of Ankara, the JIAA encompasses a wide range of cultural resources, including three archaeological sites, a library and archive, five storage depots, a museum, and fifty thousand inventoried artifacts. The case study will outline the process of developing a plan that balances the documentary and preservation priorities of the JIAA, presents guidelines for the salvage of materials preserved at the site, and aims to be accessible to both archaeologists as well as local stakeholders. The plan itself is unique to Kaman and its particular risks, resources, and culture. The process of creating such a plan, however, can be adapted to any archaeological site. Specific recommendations include: risk assessment prior to response plan development; formation of a response planning team representing research-, community-, and government stakeholders; creating a priority list of cultural heritage to be preserved; ongoing training, with practice sessions such as tabletop exercises and phone tree tests; and finally, review of plan accessibility – language, value barriers – and outreach effort. At the JIAA, a recent review of the plan has prompted the production of a pocket guide that will provide up-to-date emergency information for first responders. Within the broader framework of site preservation and management, a site-based emergency response plan serves as an essential point of clarity, mitigating loss by defining priorities, outlining specific plans of action, and ensuring effective response through community engagement and direct communication of values.