The new European project leader of the AREA network, and the coordinator of the French AREA research and documentation activities, is the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) , and more specifically the Maison de l'archéologie et de l'ethnologie - René Ginouves in Nanterre (FR) . The Maison de l'archéologie hosts in France the largest concentration of CNRS, Inrap and universities research teams in the country, dealing notably with prehistory and classical archaeology, environmental sciences and history of art.
Their deposited archives provide important information into the recent scientific and institutional history of French archaeology, including insights into the recent emergence of preventive archaeology, the reception of foreign scholars in France, and the activities of French archaeological missions abroad. This theme is followed up through other institutional archives such as the Société Asiatique in the 1930s or the papers of the ministry of public instruction throughout the 19 th century.
In addition to these projects, the French partner also oversees the completion of several lines of research and documentation launched in the previous phases of AREA project, such as studies on antiquarianism. A bibliography of antiquarian books from the Renaissance to the 18 th century and a very comprehensive examination of the Comte de Caylus' works are in progress, in cooperation with the Institut national d'his