This paper discusses the management of archaeological heritage resources in Romania and the Republic of Moldova in order to show the experience and current trends in both countries. Since 1990 Romania and Moldova have worked to develop an open society and to build a legal framework in line with democratic and European values. However, political, economic and social issues encountered during the last two decades have had an effect on the most sensitive areas, one of them being the preservation of cultural heritage, in general, and the archaeological heritage, in particular. The first part of the study presents the legal framework and management of the archaeological heritage in Romania, and the second part is devoted to the situation in Moldova. Romania has had a Law on Archaeological Heritage Preservation since 2000 and Moldova since 2010. In both countries, the Ministry of Culture is the main body responsible for preservation and management activities; the paper discusses how the system is organised, how the responsibilities are distributed and how efficient they are. The paper concludes with considerations on the many common issues, of a historical and cultural nature, in both Romania and Moldova, and the necessary steps to encourage cooperation and sharing of good practices in archaeological heritage preservation and management.