Each year hundreds of archaeological sites are destroyed by development, looting, warfare, unregulated tourism, and changing environmental conditions. Since its creation in 2007, the AIA Site Preservation Program has worked to protect archaeological sites around the world and prevent their destruction.

The program approaches the issue of preserving sites in a holistic manner that combines traditional conservation with outreach, education, and community engagement. The program supports the protection of archaeological sites through grants and awards and by raising awareness of the challenges that need to be overcome. The program strives to advance the field of preservation by identifying best practices and spreading them through publications, workshops, and the AIA website.

The program has grown rapidly and the AIA currently supports over a dozen projects across five continents. The most recent sites added to the list of funded projects are the Carr Estate on the island of Montserrat and Azoria in Crete. The project at the Carr Estate is working to protect one of island’s few remaining 17th century sites from urban development and establish an archaeology-themed curriculum at local secondary schools that includes interaction with the site. The project at Azoria is demonstrating the success of conservation conducted alongside excavation. To learn more about these and other Site Preservation Program funded sites, visit http://www.archaeological.org/sitepreservation.

The Site Preservation Program depends on AIA members and friends who believe that archaeological sites should be protected and preserved for the future. At this year’s Gala, the AIA is asking you to support this important program. Your generous donation to the Site Preservation pledge drive will allow innovative and critically needed preservation programs like the ones in Montserrat and Crete to continue.

Join us in saving sites! To learn more about the AIA’s current and past projects, visit the project pages listed on the right.