Kontaminierte Fundstellen in der Archäologie der Moderne

Abstract

Archaeological Sites from the modern era pose specific challenges to archaeological field work, as they have often been subjected to strong anthropogenic influences and can e.g. be contaminated by former industrial processes and relics of warfare. The concrete ruin of F1, situated in the area of the former Army Research Centre („HVA“) Peenemünde on Usedom, highlights these problems. The HVA had been established in 1936 as a facility for the German rearmament program. F1 had been intended for the production of ‚Aggregat 4‘, a weapon of mass destruction. The building was demolished at the end of the 1940s, but went through several phases of official and unofficial re-use. Due to the existence of only scarce historical sources, an investigation of F1 can only be undertaken via building research and archeology alike. The site is contaminated by remnants of war from World War II as well as from phases of subsequent use. Unknown but possibly hazardous materials from the A4 production process and their degradation products must be considered; as well as possible hazardous substances caused by garbage disposal or toxic building materials. Due to these circumstances, a thorough investigation and documentation of hazardous substances on site has to be undertaken prior to archaeological fieldwork in order to plan and provide adequate health and safety procedures. Furthermore, contamination can e.g. cause unforeseen consequential costs or lead to redevelopment measures with potentially negative consequences for archaeological heritage. The article presents a guideline for dealing with contaminated cultural heritage sites currently in progress.