Coastal heritage and climate change: 20 years’ experience of community archaeology in Western France

This article presents an assessment of the ALeRT project (Archaeology, Coasts and Global Warming) initiated in 2006 in Western France. Based on a participatory research-action approach, the project addresses the vulnerability of archaeological heritage, threatened by the effects of climate change and human pressure, based on the principle of ‘preservation by record’. A key aspect of the project is raising awareness and involving a large community of academic actors (researchers), land and heritage managers and the public (volunteers, associations, schools, etc.). From the outset, specific tools adapted to the geographical and human context of the region were created. Here, we propose a quantitative and qualitative assessment of this approach for Brittany, and reflection on its contributions – at local, regional, national and international scales – but also its limits, in the light of the current international context.