Protesters dig feet in over privatisation

French archaeologists called off a ten-day strike last week after the culture minister froze proposals to "privatise" compulsory excavations of particular sites before construction starts, writes Jane Marshall in Paris.

Property developers are legally required to check whether a site is of archaeological value. If so they generally pay the Association for National Archaeological Excavations to conduct "preventive excavations". The system was introduced in the 1980s when there was intensive construction of motorways and high-speed railways.

The law is vague and some transactions have broken down in acrimony. One recent case concerned a property developer who refused to pay for works carried out on a medieval site in Rodez.

But the latest cause for grievance came from the finance ministry, which proposed putting out preventive excavations to tender. Archaeologists were outraged, claiming that the works should remain a public service. A representative said it would inevitably result in developers choosing the lowest bid.

Developers wanted to deal with sites as quickly as possible, while archaeologists needed time to carry out their researches.

Though they number fewer than 2,000, the archaeologists struck. Other tactics included angry appearances on television, letting members of the public free into the Louvre and on to the Mont Saint-Michel and a sit-in on a motorway building site.

Culture minister Catherine Trautmann has now appointed a three-member commission to report in a month with proposals. She said she would introduce clearer preventative archaeology legislation by the end of the year.