Art. 19 The care for the archival Heritage pertaining to the period from the
Middle Ages to contemporary times, ought not forget the documentary Heri
tage of the ancient world which has reached us in a fragmentory form and has
often been recovered by archaeological discoveries, but has to be studied and
preserved with interdisciplinary methods. This Heritage, including from clay
tables of Mycenaen civilization to papyri of Imperial Rome, constitutes the
roots of European archival Heritage.
Art. 20 Archaeology must cooperate with archival science to recover the
archival Heritage of the antiquity.
Archivists with their presence in archeological staffs should carry out a close
interdisciplinary cooperation for the establishment of the archival principle
of respect to provenance and integrity of record groups, in new discoveries
as well in the study and publication of texts.
Art. 21 The interdisciplinary and European perspective must be underlined
too for the two sciences traditionally related to archival science: diplomatics
and palaeography.
The juridic study of the record, typical of diplomatics, and the systematic study
of ancient writings, peculiar to palaeography, allow the reconstruction of
European civilization and of its components, supporting archival science to
the recovery of the common objectivated memory.
Art. 22 The historical reconstruction of institutions, competences, of eco
nomic and social organs, of institutional activities, which permit the research
use of the European archival Heritage is a basic task of the archival work. This
reconstruction is carried out by the archives and for the archives, in rearran
ging them, but supersedes it and is too the most complete methodology of re
search and the basis of historical research. The history of European
institutions - made by the archives and for the archives - shows the significance
of the European archival Heritage.
Art. 23 For the pursuit of historical truth the European archival Heritage
is a huge laboratory by which archival science studies the organic ensembles
and the diplomatic studies the particular of records.
Development of the diplomatics of the modern European document may give
a decisive contribution to the historic comprehension of European events
through methodical analysis of documentary texts and the editing of sources
according to rigorous principles.
Art. 24 Within common institutions it will be possible to establish of a Com
mission for the Safeguard of the European Archival Heritage and for the Coor
dination of Common Archival Policies. The right of intervention of this Com
mission will be regulated by a special Convention.
Art. 25 European Archival Heritage is strictly linked to the world archival
Heritage, of which it is a remarkable part.
The need of its integral preservation is a moral duty for the whole world, be-
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cause the loss of any part of it, even if a small one, leaves poorer not only
Europe but humanity.
Art. 26 The essential principles of the European Charter of Archival Herita
ge will be accepted by international law so to ensure by common co-operation
the conservation, efficient management and free use of all documentary sour
ces linked to European Archival Heritage.
Art. 27 Archives among cultural properties are the most vulnerable ones, but
they are too in ideal sense among the most powerful: their importance as per
manent presence of history, common memory and cross-roads of past, pre
sent and future, let them be one of the most valuable treasures of human civi
lization Heritage.
The safeguard of Archives is therefore the safeguard of the common con
sciousness keeping alive the hope in the future of the humanity.
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