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Planetary Exploration and Archaeology: Heritage Conservation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 March 2016
Extract
Planetary exploration is resulting in the creation of new archaeological sites, material and debris on planets and their moons, and in various orbits round the Earth, Mars, the Sun etc. The main off-Earth bodies with sites so far are the Moon and Mars. Although thousands of archaeological sites on Earth are protected for their heritage value, no sites off-Earth are properly protected as yet. Sites off-Earth need to be ranked for their comparative heritage significance and protocols developed for the conservation and protection of the more significant sites and artifacts, before specimens are collected and returned to Earth in an uncontrolled (from heritage points of view) manner. A new United Nations Space Heritage Treaty is needed, or at least appropriate IAU and WAC (World Archaeological Congress) protocols agreed by the various parties concerned. The UN Outer Space Treaty 1967 is very out of date and a product of the Cold War.
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- Copyright © Astronomical Society of Pacific 2005
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