Conservation Architect Tony Barton gave a presentation during the partnermeeting in Chester about 3 projects by Donald Insall Associates (DIA) with public: private partnerships on three very different archaeological sites:

• an important area of buried archaeology
• a standing Scheduled Monument
• and a unique survivor of industrial archaeology.

The first was Brown's of Chester in the City’s historic core, designated an area of archaeological importance, where, because of a difference in floor levels, an extension to the shop would have obliterated buried archaeology if traditional construction had been used. Instead, DIA designed a single structural mast, with foundations in an old cellar which had already been dug through the archaeology, and which takes all the loads of the new extension. When just 3 steps were introduced between the department store and the extension, the building was built within the ‘modern’ deposits and its ground floor is suspended over undisturbed Medieval and Roman Archaeology.

The developers had also agreed to pay for an archaeological excavation of the site, which became a great tourist attraction and the finds even included the leg bone of an elephant!

In Germany the “Bundesländer” (regions) are responsible for the protection of monuments. Each “Bundesland” has different laws. In North Rhine Westphalia this is regulated by the “law for the conservation of ancient monuments“. Nevertheless the City of Cologne has an exception. Here the “lex colonia” guarantees the independence of archaeology in Cologne. At the moment there are two different departments: on one hand the “Archaeological Zone”, which is responsible for the area where the new museum is being built as well as for the Ubian Monument, and on the other hand the “Romano-Germanic Museum”, which is responsible for all other parts in the city. 

The legal situation of North Rhine Westphalia states that the discovery of archaeological findings has to be reported immediately to the authorities. If archaeological remains are discovered, the “Department for the Protection and Preservation of Monuments” is entitled to stop the building activities up to six months to organize the necessary excavations. The “Departments for the Preservation of Monuments” are to be involved in the planning processes and building applications. If there is any evidence from surveys or former excavations that indicate considerable findings are to be expected they can impose conditions, for excavation etc. The regulations even allow the expropriation of private owners of monuments.

In reality the department and the private investors sign contracts according to the costs-by-cause principle. The investor pays a certain amount for the excavation or hires a company for archaeological research. So the department can save money and therefore guarantees that the excavation will start when it is suitable for the investor. It is a key agreement to make sure that the excavations will not take longer than necessary.

When unexpected, important findings are revealed or when it comes to preservation of any findings this agreement can be modified or even rejected by the city. This case might be very rare but it means that the building plan has to be changed and the investor has to bear the additional costs. 

During the PORTICO meeting it turned out that other partner cities have the same problems with the current regulative specifications for preserving historical and archaeological findings. However a successful implemented Private Public Partnership not only has to involve the investor/owner on one side, but also the residents and people working or living in the area. The communication agency of the Archaeological Zone “BSX Bader & Schmölzer Ldt.” therefore has developed a communication master-plan, presented by Astrid Bader. 

The Ubian Monument is situated in an unusual surrounding in the basement of an apartment building. The people living in and near this building can influence the success of the project considerably. Therefore a specific communication strategy has to be developed to get in touch with this target group. 

The goal is to involve and to inspire local residents, to identify themselves with the historical site and to be proud of it. It is also necessary winning these locals as partners to create a multiplier effect. 

Locals can gain appreciation of the area they live in and get in touch with the local community and neighbours, which could help to create a new district and change the image of the area they live in. For this reason a number of activities will be organized – e.g. guided tours with local guides, discussion and information meetings, events for owners of restaurants, hotels, shops etc.

Another important element of this concept is the "Private Public Partnership", which includes a close cooperation with the owner of the building in order to upgrade the economic value of the building by installing a new bus stop, free renovation of the entrance or a special branding of the site. In the foyer visitors should be invited to a time travel and experience history by multimedia presentations, photo exhibition and other modern presentation methods. 

Another important target group of our project are schools and students. Students should learn about their cultural heritage and the history of the city in a way that is interesting for them. For schools tailored projects for every age group will be arranged. Every student gets the chance to become a “student scout”, who guides other students through the historical site. 

Further ideas include special multimedia presentations such as a TV-documentation about the Archaeological Zone and the Ubian Monument, the "Ave Civitas" Digital Storytelling workshop or podcasts for audioguides, as well as social media presentations on Wiki, Facebook, Archaeology-Blogs and YouTube. 

Other target groups that should be reached are students, museums, journalists, archaeologists, tour guides, tourist offices, EU-sponsors and local politicians.

Astrid Bader, BSX Bader & Schmölzer GmbH

The excavation attracted thousands of visitors. On Open Heritage Day in September, people had to wait in line to get a glimpse of the excavation and hear the explanation of the archeologists. On special occasions children helped the archeologists in tracing down bits and pieces of the past.

The dig is covered up now, waiting for a final re-excavation and the construction of the visitor centre next summer. Meanwhile research is going on with PORTICO partners helping each other to find the best solutions for the challenges they face. Important to mention here is that the PORTICO study on climate and light is well on its way. 

The excavation was carried out in close cooperation with the archeologists of the city of Utrecht and specialists from the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage. If you are interested in the results of the excavation and the research, please let us know. www.domplein2013.nl 

Paul Baltus, Stichting Domplein

Interested in the digital storytelling project? Have a look at the workshop results on our Youtube channel 

Looking for best practices when it comes to virtual time travel? Bring a visit to www.inheritage.eu, the special Portico website, which aims to inspire professionals in heritage interpretation. Make your account and add your own breathtaking experiences. 

The backbone of that quarter is a NW-SE oriented street, later known as the Korte Ridderstraat, which is now believed to be part of the medieval trade route overland from Bruges to Cologne. The occupancy along this axis shows a sophisticated balance between buildings and open space, between enclosure and perspective. 

Analysis of the archaeological data gave evidence of a strong urban vision directing the spatial development of that quarter. The street intersections or enlargements functioned as small squares, which played an important role in the fabric of the medieval and pre-modern city. Only a few of them grew out to real squares (considered as such) in modern times. Those ‘small squares’ are often neglected in classical urban topography, which is rather focussed on the larger squares, with well-known economical, political or ceremonial functions. This urban phenomenon was not unique to Ghent, but appears to have been predominant in other medieval cities as well. 

The research into the archaeological soil archive led to another, quite unexpected conclusion: the successive phases of the spatial development of the Emile Braun square from the medieval period onwards – e.g. in the 15th century, in the later 17th century, and in the early 19th century – appear to have been surprisingly well planned and carefully designed. This insight in urban planning is completely new. Until now, the loosely defined open space known as the Emile Braun square was considered to be the unintended result of successive and ill-considered clearances of building blocks, surrounded by rear facades.

In short, the archaeological evidence falsify some wide spread – but erroneous – ideas about spatial development at the heart of the city centre. From this experience we can learn once more that, prior to large development projects, a thorough interdisciplinary (archaeological, historical and built historical) research is needed to get fully grasp of the ‘genius loci’ and to take this into account when designing the reconstruction of old city quarters, especially in interpretive plans.

Marie Christine Laleman and Geert Vermeiren', Gent