2002-2012: Inrap is ten years old

Created on February 1^st 2002 enforcing the law on Preventive Archaeology, it is a public establishment placed under the control of the Ministries responsible for Culture and Research and has a triple mission : it operates evaluations and excavations; it assures the scientific exploitation of their results ; it contributes to the teaching, the cultural diffusion and the promotion of archaeology.

From 2002 to 2011, Inrap has progressively built itself up in: organization, management, human resources, research policies, and cultural promotion …

After some early difficulties in 2002 and 2003, Inrap adapted itself of the new system set up by the law of August 1^st 2003, opening the realisation of evaluations to territorial communities and that of excavations to public and approved private operators. Apart from its missions as a preventive archaeological operator, Inrap has a specific national mission of research and of diffusion of archaeological knowledge.

In 2002, the Institute equipped itself with a scientific and technical department, then in 2004 with a scientific council, to carry out its research missions.  In 2004, Inrap elaborated a project of establishment, at the end of a wide participatory study. In 2005, the Institute equipped itself with a department of cultural development, in order to carry out its missions of cultural diffusion. The same year, Inrap defined its main areas of research.  In 2009, the Institute opened a website on Internet with spaces showing its scientific research and undertook the digitisation of excavation reports (at present 400 available and consultable). In 2010, Inrap elaborated a plan "Winning back the developers" to answer the needs of developers and to confront the rise of competition. In 2011, the Institute signed with the State a contract of performance for the years 2011-2013. It was recapitalized to the extent of 21 M€ to correct the absence of specific funds at its creation.  

The scientific and technical department is equipped with a service of international activities and a service of archaeological goods and documentation, a service of sub-aquatic and underwater activities is planned. Lastly, the Institute created the collection "Recherches archéologiques". Since 2005, Inrap has made a special effort to modernise its forty or so territorial implantations in Mainland France and in the Overseas Departments. From 2002 to 2011, to accompany this growth in activity, its numbers have passed from 1,672 to 2,323 agents  (that is the equivalent of 2,012 full time at the end of 2011).

In ten years, Inrap has devoted 134,762 workdays to the scientific exploitation of the results of the archaeological operations. The display of the scientific exploitation of the results of the archaeological operations is accompanied by methodological monitoring and a harmonization of practices. An active documentary policy is engaged to put the results of research at the disposition of the scientific community.

A scientific programming defines the different areas  including all periods from the Palaeolithic to modern times. Two "National Inquiries" have inventoried the recent data on the Bronze and Iron Ages. Archéopages, a quarterly scientific review of the Institute has seen its formula renewed around the theme of "Archaeology and Society".

Inrap runs the European project "Archaeology in contemporary Europe" and directs a five-year programme of excavations in Angkor. Its researchers have intervened in 50 countries. Almost 300 Inrap archaeologists participate in teams associating the University and the CNRS. Since 2002, they have published more that 2,000 books and articles.

Cultural diffusion, a new mission for Inrap, has developed over a broad spectrum. To present the excavations to the public, 700 "open days" on the sites and 600 lectures have been organized.  Forty-two books have been published aimed at the general public. 250 exhibitions have been co-produced in partnership with the communities and the developers. Numerous production initiatives have enabled the realisation and the diffusion of ten long and medium length documentary films, thirty short and ten animated films. The website proposes more that a hundred and twenty reports, twelve thematic files, nine atlases and an library of images giving access to 2,300 documents that can be downloaded free of charge. It attracts 100,000 visitors a month. Inrap has organized nine conferences in partnership with great institutions. Lastly, the Institute is at the origin of the "Journées nationales de l’Archéologie"(National Archaeology Days), a national event organised by the Ministry of Culture and Communication, of which the third edition will take place on 22-24 June 2012.

This tenth anniversary is accompanied by an important editorial programme and scientific and cultural events, with notably the publication in March 2012 of  "La France racontèe par des archèologues" (France narrated by archaeologists) Gallimard Editions, and a conference on the archaeology of colonial slavery in the Musèe du Quai Branly in May.