Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments MINISTRY OF CULTURE NATIONAL ARCHIVE OF MONUMENTS
Profile The Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments (DEAM) is a division of the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. With all due respect for the past and looking forward to the future, DEAM has undertaken the electronic recording, documentation and management of archives related to the Greek cultural heritage in order to ensure its preservation under optimal conditions and promote its effective and creative utilization. Employing state-of-the-art technology, DEAM actively promotes the dissemination of knowledge across a broad spectrum of cultural and archaeological realms, supporting scholarly research and facilitating the access to archival content. The Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments is the designated authority for the collection, indexing and study of archival material that relates to the historical monuments and archaeological sites in Greece. It oversees the administrative development and history of the Archaeological Service, coordinates the digitization procedures applied by the Regional Authorities of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and is the repository for: The National Archive of Monuments, an electronic register of comprehensive information on every immovable and movable monument The Permanent Catalogue of Listed Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Greece, available in printed and electronic form, which lists the decrees for the conservation of monuments, archaeological sites and places of historical interest in the country, from 1921 onwards. In order to ensure effective management of the country s rich national cultural heritage, DEAM is organized into the following Departments: Archive of Monuments Archive of Antiquity Services Publications
Premises The Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments head office is located in Theseion (11, Asomaton Street), right in the heart of the historical center of Athens. A restored historic building of the 30s houses the Directorate since 1995, providing safe storage for its invaluable archive. In December 2008, the Archive of the Archaeological Service was relocated to a privately-owned industrial building at 22, Psaromilingou Street, at a short distance from the Kerameikos archaeological site - an old printing office, thoroughly renovated to meet the storage and conservation needs of the Historical Archive. Complying with modern storage and conservation standards, the building includes offices for the specialized staff of the Directorate and study areas for visiting students and scholars. It also features a fully-equipped conservation laboratory, display areas and a library.
Activity The Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments plays a pivotal role in contemporary knowledge society. Placing cutting-edge technology at the service of national cultural heritage, DEAM is instrumental in the process of digitizing Greek cultural content. Moreover, it acts as a liaison between the Central and Regional Departments of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture on issues that fall within its jurisdiction, contributing substantially to the exchange of knowledge through publications, conferences and presentations.
i. The Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service After a long travel in time, the Historical Archive comes to light and becomes available to all. More than 1500 crates of documents, photographs, maps and sketches, which make up the bulk of the historical and latent archival material of the Archaeological Service, have been placed in the hands of DEAM. Dating from 1834 onwards, the Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service is related to the monuments and archaeological sites of the country, records the administrative development of the Service and sheds light on its history. Today, through a series of innovative activities, its content is promoted, making a decisive contribution to the advancement of scholarly research and the documentation of Greek intellectual life. The Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments has undertaken the task of digitizing the Historical Archive in order to protect it against ordinary tear and wear, as well as allow students and scholars to turn its content to best advantage. The Directorate s specialized staff has developed a custom-made database for the electronic management of the Archive, a substantial portion of which has already been recorded. In addition, within the framework of the Project Digitization and Digital Documentation of the Listed Monuments under the Ministry of Culture, part of the Third E.U. Framework Program, the documentation and digitization of a section of the Archive in document format is already in progress.
ii. The Digital National Archive of Monuments Following the dictates of modern technology, the Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments has designed a monument-centered information system that complies with international standards and meets the needs of recording and related concerted actions. In addition, the Directorate has launched a project for the digitization of the Collections of Movable Monuments under the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, within the framework of the Third E.U. Framework Program (Operational Program The Information Society, Measure 1.3). The basic aims of this project are: The enrichment of the National Archive of Monuments through the digitization of selected Collections of Movable Monuments The institution of common practices for digitization and electronic documentation The establishment of structured digitization units at the local Ephorates of Antiquities and Museums The training of staff at the Divisions of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture in the use of associated technical equipment and software, in order to continue to enrich their local archives within a unified framework.. The Information System of the National Archive of Monuments can operate as a communications channel between Divisions, promoting interdepartmental collaboration. Indexing and search facilities available at a local and national scale, as well as statistical data compiled for specified sections of the Archives, simplify and accelerate the processing of information, greatly facilitating the tasks of the Divisions of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and associated supervised authorities. In addition, its operation can be extended to include related academic and research establishments, paving the way for more comprehensive archaeological research. Defeating time and wear, the Digitized National Archive of Monuments constitutes an effective system for the management and dissemination of the national cultural heritage, through the establishment of a unified approach for recording cultural information and the extension of the digitization and recording network.
iii. Permanent Catalogue of Listed Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Greece Since 1993, the Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments has been compiling the Permanent Catalogue of Listed Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Greece. This is a record of the decrees for the conservation of monuments, archaeological sites and historical regions from 1921 onwards. The purpose of the Catalogue is informational, as only the text in the Government Gazette is legally binding. Also, in accordance with Archaeological Law no. 3028/2002, monuments and areas dating before 1830 are automatically granted conservation status without the publication of an administrative act. At present, the Permanent Catalogue of Listed Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Greece contains over 10,000 decrees for the protection of more than 18,000 monuments and sites from all associated periods of time. It is continually being enriched with new decrees and additional information about the conserved monuments and sites, as its compilation and updated information give the general public considerable insight into Greece s rich cultural heritage and constitute a decisive step towards its safekeeping.
iv. Publications Giving priority to the dissemination of knowledge, the Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments issues scholarly publications related to the Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service and the National Archive of Monuments. Turning its long-standing expertise and in-depth knowledge of the subject to best advantage, DEAM has published a large number of treatises, in close collaboration with Greek and foreign publishing houses. More specifically, publications of the Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments include the following: Volumes of the Permanent Catalogue of Listed Archaeological Sites and Monuments in Greece for each Prefecture (also available in digital form) Apostolos Sarris & Martin Doerr (eds.), Proceedings of the 30th Conference Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology 2002, Athens 2003 Pantos A. Pantos, Digitization of the Legislation for Cultural Heritage Arranged Thematically, Greek Legislation, Athens 2001 Pantos A. Pantos, Digitization of the Legislation for Cultural Heritage Arranged Thematically, International and EU Law, Athens 2005 Digitization of the Collections of Movable Monuments under the Ministry of Culture. Questions and Answers about the Project, Athens 2007 (digital edition) «...ανέφερα εγγράφως...» - Catalogue of the Exhibition of Treasures from the Historical Archive of the Archaeological Service, Athens 2008 Metaxia Tsipopoulou & Evangelia Kappa (eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference Digital Heritage in the New Knowledge Environment: Shared spaces & open paths to cultural content, Athens 2008 Proceedings of the Two-Day Meeting on The Digitization of the Collections of Monuments under the Ministry of Culture, Athens 21-22 November 2008 (digital edition) Introduction to the POLEMON Information System of the National Archive of Monuments, Athens 2008 (digital edition)
v. European Programs In order to respond effectively to the challenges of contemporary society and provide a systematic way for the entry of the Ministry of Culture into the Information Society, the Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments turns the opportunities offered by EU programs to best advantage. The implementation of the Project Digitization and Digital Documentation of the Collections of Monuments under the Ministry of Culture took place within the framework of the Third EU Framework Programme, Measure 1.3 Documentation, Promotion and Dissemination of the Greek Civilization. The project included the following sub-projects: Scientific documentation of the digitized content, digitization of special collections and scientific coordination of the digitization procedures Digitization of the Collections of Movable Monuments by the Ministry of Culture Digital Procedures by the Authority for the Conservation of the Acropolis Monuments Mapping, Documentation and Promotion of the Archaeological Park of Dion using digital methods Promotion & Publicity of the Project: Digitization and Digital Documentation of the Collections of Monuments under the Ministry of Culture. In the period 1999-2008, the Directorate participated in the European Network AREA regarding the history of Archaeology in Greece and the compilation of a catalogue of archival collections of archaeological interest in the country. Finally, it collaborated with the Information & Technology Department of the Ministry of Culture in the implementation of the program MICHAEL PLUS, aimed at the development of a multi-lingual index for Europe s digital collections.
MINISTRY OF CULTURE NATIONAL ARCHIVE OF MONUMENTS Directorate of the National Archive of Monuments 11, Ag. Asomaton Street, 105 53 Athens Tel.: +30 210-3229820, 3225323 Fax: +30 210-3225628 E-mail: deam@culture.gr Websites: http://nam.culture.gr & http://listedmonuments.culture.gr