Developing Guidelines for Archaeological Shelters

A result of 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 is user-friendly, applicable to the range of professionals involved, and which covers the entire sheltering process. That process includes determining what to consider when deciding whether to shelter; performance criteria and the architectural response; implementation; and post-construction evaluation and maintenance requirements.

The aim was 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.