| Abstrakt: |
The article discusses protection of environment and role of archeology. In Norway, the protection of archaeological monuments and sites is a component of the general policy of environmental protection. The administration of the Cultural Heritage Act is coordinated by a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Environment, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, previously called the Central Office of Historic Monuments and Sites. The Ministry of Environment is an important agency in the governmental affairs of Norway. For archaeology, being part of a relatively prestigious and visible element of the national Norwegian government is, concerning some archaeological issues, an advantage. Concerning others, however, in the author's opinion, it is a disadvantage. This chapter is not a simple tale of how wonderful it is to be part of the larger, happy, environmental family with sisters like the Directorate for Nature Management, the State Pollution Control Authority and the Norwegian Polar Research Institute. Rather, the author will try to describe the state of affairs from the point of view of an archaeologist working inside the system as a bureaucrat in the Directorate, a subordinate agency administrating the Cultural Heritage Act. |
