ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the value associated to the skeleton of heritage: its structural concept and technology. In archaeological sites, structures are generally incomplete, damaged and consequently weaker than in their "original" condition. Structural tricks of cantilevered architraves and arches can defy gravity in deference to aesthetic judgement." Structural restoration should give an acceptable level of safety but it should also try to respect the structural system of the original construction as this is an integral part of the authenticity of the artefact. "Reproducing the structural characteristics of the original classical structure is one of the most important principles to which the ongoing restoration of the Acropolis monuments aspire." Structural interventions in archaeological sites have to find a proper balance between the protection of integrity and the protection of authenticity. In archaeological sites, a better balance between the values may be reached by refering to the basic principles, coherent with the evolution of engineering towards performance-oriented approaches.
