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