To Know is to Preserve (Instead of Foreword)

For the archaeological, museological, and preservationist community, this period has been one of immense challenges. The individual scientific interests of researchers have been overshadowed by a collective concern for the state of cultural heritage and the urgent need to protect sites during a full-scale war. Public and scholarly initiatives aimed at preserving monuments and monitoring the impact of war on cultural values have grown into a wide array of projects and organizations capable of mobilizing significant resources to document crimes against cultural and natural heritage. After the initial shock of witnessing the scale of looting and destruction of cultural objects, the current situation demands a rational and proactive approach to heritage preservation. The preservation of historical and cultural heritage has been officially recognized as a priority in thematic areas and scientific and technical developments. In response, significant attention has recently been devoted to advancing methodologies in the field of archaeological recording—from the use of space technologies to traditional methods of documenting archaeological information and culturally attributing materials. Ukrainian archaeology and museology have rapidly embraced modern global trends and technologies for preserving and processing culturally and scientifically significant data. Modern digital technologies, particularly in the realm of remote analysis of objects and artifacts, have been actively integrated into archaeological and museum subdisciplines. This approach goes beyond a simple pursuit of easy solutions or striking visualizations. In situations where collections or entire archaeological sites face the imminent risk of loss, the ability to digitally record relevant information has become a powerful tool for preserving cultural heritage and disseminating this knowledge to the world. In response to the challenges facing our community during these difficult times, the Scientific School «Objects of Cultural Heritage: detection, research, preservation» was established at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in October 2023. The School was initiated by a team of specialists, bringing together experts from the Department of Archaeology and Museum Studies of the Faculty of History, Archaeology Museum of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the Interdepartmental Laboratory of Archaeology and Ethnography, and the Center for Paleoethnological Research. These specialists have long been engaged in research focused on the discovery, study, and preservation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Considering activities of the Scientific School for 2024-2029, this collection of articles focuses on methods for recording and monitoring archaeological objects.