Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France

After a period of urban development in historic town centres between the 1970s and the 1980s, which resulted in the destruction of many archaeological sites, archaeology has gone from being perceived and experienced as a purely unwanted obligation, to being an integral part of town planning and deve...

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Main Authors: Simon Bryant, Mathias Dupuis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of York 2025-03-01
Series:Internet Archaeology
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Online Access:https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue70/12/index.html
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author Simon Bryant
Mathias Dupuis
author_facet Simon Bryant
Mathias Dupuis
author_sort Simon Bryant
collection DOAJ
description After a period of urban development in historic town centres between the 1970s and the 1980s, which resulted in the destruction of many archaeological sites, archaeology has gone from being perceived and experienced as a purely unwanted obligation, to being an integral part of town planning and development. A growing awareness of the environmental and social challenges posed by urban sprawl, vehicle traffic and climate change has started to modify our vision of the town and how it should be developed. One consequence has been a marked increase in the density of urban fabric and the renewal of old town centres, encouraged by government projects designed to improve their appeal. This paper aims to retrace this evolution through the example of the Centre region of France, paying particular attention to Chartres. Through the respective and complementary actions of the state authorities (Ministry of Culture) and the archaeology services belonging to local government authorities (departments and municipalities), this study illustrates the role of archaeology in the urban environment as a means of action for local decision makers, and as a factor that can add high cultural value to local areas through building and strengthening local identities and promoting a scientific and heritage culture.
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spelling doaj-art-e9282bba90d74f73817bc43572c139da2025-08-20T02:42:49ZengUniversity of YorkInternet Archaeology1363-53872025-03-017010.11141/ia.70.12Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in FranceSimon Bryant0Mathias DupuisChartres Métropole and Orléans, Service Régional de l'ArchéologieAfter a period of urban development in historic town centres between the 1970s and the 1980s, which resulted in the destruction of many archaeological sites, archaeology has gone from being perceived and experienced as a purely unwanted obligation, to being an integral part of town planning and development. A growing awareness of the environmental and social challenges posed by urban sprawl, vehicle traffic and climate change has started to modify our vision of the town and how it should be developed. One consequence has been a marked increase in the density of urban fabric and the renewal of old town centres, encouraged by government projects designed to improve their appeal. This paper aims to retrace this evolution through the example of the Centre region of France, paying particular attention to Chartres. Through the respective and complementary actions of the state authorities (Ministry of Culture) and the archaeology services belonging to local government authorities (departments and municipalities), this study illustrates the role of archaeology in the urban environment as a means of action for local decision makers, and as a factor that can add high cultural value to local areas through building and strengthening local identities and promoting a scientific and heritage culture.https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue70/12/index.htmlarchaeologyurban archaeologysites and monuments registerregional archaeologychartresfrancecentre-val de loire
spellingShingle Simon Bryant
Mathias Dupuis
Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
Internet Archaeology
archaeology
urban archaeology
sites and monuments register
regional archaeology
chartres
france
centre-val de loire
title Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
title_full Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
title_fullStr Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
title_full_unstemmed Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
title_short Archaeology in the Changing Townscape: The Centre Region in France
title_sort archaeology in the changing townscape the centre region in france
topic archaeology
urban archaeology
sites and monuments register
regional archaeology
chartres
france
centre-val de loire
url https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue70/12/index.html
work_keys_str_mv AT simonbryant archaeologyinthechangingtownscapethecentreregioninfrance
AT mathiasdupuis archaeologyinthechangingtownscapethecentreregioninfrance