Scientific and Ethical Considerations in Sampling Artefacts in Archaeological Sciences

Sampling historical-cultural artefacts from museums and excavation sites is a delicate and critical phase inarchaeological research and the conservation of cultural heritage. This process, essential for generating scientificdata, must follow established scientific principles as well as pertinent ethical guidelines in the field. Adhering tothese principles is crucial to prevent damage to the artefacts and preserve their cultural and historical significance.Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, this study systematically examines the scientific and ethical challengesinvolved in this process, utilising library resources and the authors’ field experiences. The findings revealed thatethical and optimal sampling of historical-cultural artefacts requires the integration of three key dimensions: 1)Technical dimension, involving the selection of minimally invasive, high-precision methods and the developmentof standardised protocols for sampling; 2) Ethical dimension, encompassing adherence to the five core principlesof minimum intervention, scientific justification, transparency, accountability, and respect for stakeholders’rights; and 3) Managerial dimension, which includes establishing controlled sample repositories. These findingsunderscore the necessity of formulating national scientific and ethical sampling guidelines. Furthermore, theydemonstrate how implementing such a framework can safeguard artefacts from physical damage, enhance thepurposefulness and accuracy of sampling, prevent resource waste, reduce the frequency of sampling throughimproved access to collected data (via sample databases), and most importantly, ensure the satisfaction of currentand future stakeholders.