Tender reference number
2026_AOO_SERVICES ARCHEOLOGIQUES_UMR8167
Description
Under an agreement with the French Agency for the Development of Alula (AFALULA), CNRS UMR 8167 (Orient & Méditerranée) was entrusted with the excavation of the Dadan site in the al-Ula oasis (DADAN project). This site is the main town of the Iron Age (1200-300 BC) in the north-west of the Peninsula, and was a major stop on the trade route linking South Arabia to the Mediterranean world (‘incense route’). It also includes a fortress and an Islamic-era hamlet. In addition to its scientific purpose, the project involves training students in archaeology at King Saud University in Riyadh (KSU) and raising public awareness of local history and heritage. Two excavation campaigns are planned, from autumn 2026 to spring 2027, followed by a survey campaign in autumn 2027. In order to carry out this programme, UMR 8167 wishes to entrust one or more archaeology service providers with the management of certain excavation and recording and documentation tasks during the last part of the DADAN project (2026-2028). The subject of this contract is archaeological services relating to excavation operations in connection with the excavation of the Dadan site (al-Ula region, Saudi Arabia) on behalf of the joint research unit CNRS, UMR 8167 Orient et Méditerranée. The contract is divided into three lots within the meaning of Article R2113-10 of the Public Procurement Code. Lot 1: Services of archaeo-anthropologist responsible for the sector, Lot 2: Services of archaeologist responsible for the deputy sector, Lot 3: Provision of two search technicians. Each lot constitutes a contract. An economic operator may be awarded one or two or all of the lots. Background to field activities: The field campaigns of the DADAN project will take place in autumn (between early October and mid-December) and spring (between early March and mid-May), in a time slot of 7 to 10 weeks to be defined at the latest two months before the start of each campaign. The first marketing year is scheduled between 5 October and 13 December 2026 (indicative dates, to be confirmed at the beginning of September). During the excavation, the weekly working time for field archaeologists will be 48 hours, spread over 5.5 days, at the rate of: 6.30 hours of fieldwork and 2.30 hours of recording work from Sunday to Thursday and 3 hours of recording work on Saturday afternoons. Weekly rest days are Friday and Saturday morning. The post-survey work will be done in France or on the site according to the needs. During the post-search phase, the weekly working time will be 35 hours, spread over 5 days. The working language of the project is English. Framework of the service: The service requested concerns the provision of archaeologists and specialists for the duration of the field campaign and for a variable period of post-survey work, from two to eight weeks, at the end of which a report presenting the results of the fieldwork will be issued. The accommodation and food of the staff will be the responsibility of the CNRS. The search equipment will be provided by the CNRS. The Contractor shall be responsible for: the travel of its employees to the site, the visas of its employees (for which it is responsible for verifying that they meet the conditions required to obtain a Saudi visa, in particular as regards nationality) and the computer hardware and software necessary for the performance of the tasks requested, as described in Article 5 of the Specific Terms and Conditions. The contractor will ensure compliance with the Labour Code, in particular with regard to fair remuneration for time worked and the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE). It will also provide health-repatriation insurance to the employees made available to the project.
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Submission Method
Electronic via:
https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/
Tenders may be submitted
Electronic submission: required
https://www.marches-publics.gouv.fr/
Information about a public contract, a framework agreement or a dynamic purchasing system (DPS)
Not available
Conditions for opening tenders (date)
Not available
