 Evaluating the archaeological impact on inland waters and wet sites Evaluating the archaeological impact on inland waters and wet sites: a proposal of interdisciplinary method for the case-study of the Venice Lagoon Carlo Beltrame, Alberto Lezziero, Claudia Pizzinato In Italy over the recent years the necessity for the world of public works to have legislative tools in order to carry on and possibly avoid the interruptions to projects caused by archaeological discoveries is becoming more and more pressing. A rule (DL n.63/2005, Legge n.109/2005 and Cod. dei contr.pubbl. n.163/2006 art. 28) has recently been passed requesting an evaluation of the archaeological impact in areas where an archaeological risk is present. This rule is also the result of the urgency to follow current European regulations on the environment. The archaeological study must be conducted by archaeologists with a post-bachelor degree in Archaeology or by the Departments of Archaeology who will sign the results of the research. This is really important news because in Italy the archaeologist has never been legally recognized yet as a professional. Actually the law is not in force yet, but some Superintendencies request the risk assessment of the project of a public work for evaluating its impact on the cultural heritage. The law provides for two phases: First, a study based on the bibliographical and archive research, on surveys and on the geomorphological territory and airphotographs analysis. • Second, in case of positive results, the Superintendency may request the execution of excavation trenches. The study of the archaeological impact cannot replace the role of the archaeologist as supervisor during the public work excavations, because no research can guarantee the absence of archaeological evidence at all, excepted in case of archaeological “vacuum”, i.e. sites or place, on land or underwater, where an excavation has already been done or where a very recent supply of sediments has been made. But the study will help the Archaeological Superintendencies to decide when and where it will be necessary to send an archaeologist in situ for controlling the excavations. In Italy an approach to this method has some rare precedents, for instance in Emilia Romagna region where maps of archaeological risk have been made in cities like Cesena (Gelichi 2001; Guarnieri 2000). Recently, Archeotema Company has been charged by the Magistrato alle Acque (Italian Water Board) in Venice and the Venetian Archaeological Superintendency to draw up a study on a wide area on the Venice lagoon edge, from Marghera (in the north) to Fusina (in the south) with the chemical pole inside. •