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| Institute for the Management of Archaeological Sites | |
|---|---|
| Name | Institute for the Management of Archaeological Sites |
| Abbreviation | IMAS |
| Formation | 1970s |
| Type | Research institute |
| Headquarters | International |
| Leader title | Director |
Institute for the Management of Archaeological Sites is an international research and professional organization dedicated to the conservation, interpretation, and sustainable management of archaeological locations. It brings together specialists from institutions such as British Museum, Smithsonian Institution, ICOMOS, UNESCO, and World Monuments Fund to develop standards, conduct field projects, and provide training. The Institute functions as a nexus between academic centers like University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Columbia University, and heritage authorities including English Heritage, National Park Service, Archaeological Survey of India, and Department of Antiquities (Cyprus).
Founded in the aftermath of increased international concern for threatened sites during the 1970s, the Institute traces intellectual roots to conferences hosted by UNESCO and policy initiatives from ICOMOS and ICCROM. Early collaborations involved scholars from University College London, École du Louvre, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and practitioners from Egyptian Antiquities Service responding to pressures exemplified by the Aswan High Dam inundations and Saladin-era conservation debates in sites like Karnak and Abu Simbel. During the 1980s and 1990s the Institute expanded through project partnerships with Getty Conservation Institute, World Bank, and national bodies such as Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and Agence nationale des antiquités et des monuments historiques (Tunisia). Its history reflects engagements with major events affecting heritage: the protection responses to the Gulf War, post-conflict recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and emergency measures after earthquakes in Izmir and floods in Venice.
The Institute articulates objectives aligned with leading cultural organizations including UNESCO World Heritage Committee and Council of Europe charters: to promote best practices for sites such as Machu Picchu, Pompeii, Angkor, Petra, and Stonehenge; to foster research on visitor management seen at Acropolis of Athens and Chichén Itzá; and to advise on policy for protecting monuments like Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China. Core missions emphasize knowledge exchange with universities like University of Chicago and Australian National University, capacity building in ministries such as Ministry of Culture (France), and development of guidelines resonant with instruments like the Venice Charter and Nara Document on Authenticity.
The Institute operates through specialized departments inspired by models at Smithsonian Institution and British Library: a Research Division collaborating with Max Planck Society affiliates; a Field Operations Unit partnering with Archaeological Survey of India and Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; a Training and Outreach office linked to University of York and University of Leiden; and an Editorial Board publishing with presses such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Governance includes an international Council composed of representatives from ICOMOS, ICCROM, Getty Conservation Institute, and national agencies like Historic England and National Park Service, and an Advisory Panel with members from Royal Ontario Museum, Louvre Museum, and Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Research programs examine site vulnerability as studied by teams including scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, and University of California, Berkeley. Notable projects have included integrated conservation at Çatalhöyük with collaboration from British Institute at Ankara, landscape archaeology at Çatalhöyük and Sutton Hoo with the National Trust, and visitor impact studies at Pompeii and Mohenjo-daro alongside UNESCO missions. The Institute has led inventories using methodologies developed by English Heritage and French National Centre for Scientific Research, and pilot programmes for digital recording employing partners such as Google Arts & Culture and CyArk.
Training initiatives mirror curricula from University College London Institute of Archaeology and professional schemes at ICCROM and Getty Conservation Institute. Courses cover site management plans for locations like Mesa Verde National Park and Ban Chiang, risk preparedness for scenarios similar to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, and community engagement techniques used at Olduvai Gorge. Fellows and trainees have included alumni from University of Sydney, SOAS University of London, and King's College London, and the Institute organizes workshops at venues including Smithsonian Institution and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Practical guidance draws on charters and case studies from Venice Charter, Nara Document on Authenticity, and conservation campaigns at Apsley House and Notre-Dame de Paris. Techniques include preventive conservation methods applied at Lascaux and structural stabilization protocols used at Pompeii and Maya sites like Tikal. The Institute promotes integrated visitor strategies informed by research at Stonehenge, Montserrat Monastery, and Alhambra, and encourages community-based stewardship modeled on projects in Cusco and Palmyra.
Funding and partnerships span multilateral and private sources: collaborations with UNESCO and World Bank, grants from Getty Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and project support from national agencies such as Ministry of Culture (Spain), Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (UK), and National Endowment for the Humanities. Corporate and NGO partners have included World Monuments Fund, Google Arts & Culture, and Prince Claus Fund, while academic consortia involve European Research Council projects and networks linked to Horizon 2020. These partnerships enable work at emblematic sites such as Petra, Angkor Wat, Mesa Verde, and Pompeii.
Category:Archaeological organizations Category:Cultural heritage