What is Underwater Cultural Heritage?The UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH)

Underwater cultural heritage encompasses:

• 3 Million ancient shipwrecks (Titanic, Mary Rose, Vasa)

• Hundreds of sunken cities (150 in the Mediterranean alone)

• For 90% of human history, sea levels were much lower, leaving many submerged prehistoric landscapes with traces of human development (Doggerland, Black Sea)

• Prehistoric paintings, sacrificial sites, burials in flooded caves

• Remains of ancient fishing installations and ports

© J. Cocks\UNESCO Roman concrete bath ruins, Caesarea, Israël

Shipwrecks• Millions of wrecks exist spanning thousands of years of history

• They tell the stories of historic connections between distant civilizations

• They preserve collections of artefacts different from those found on land

• They present the opportunity to learn about distinct moments in time, as well as the broader themes of world history

© C. Beltrane\UNESCO Roman concrete bath ruins, Caesarea, Israël

Sunken Cities• Hundreds worldwide• Many ancient cities now lie underwater due to changing sea

levels, shifting landmasses, and human activities such as the building of dams

• Underwater cities tell a different story from those on land, as they have been protected from many dangers, such as construction projects and expanding cities

© E. Khalil\UNESCO Ruins of the Pharos Lighthouse, Alexandria, Egypt

Submerged landscapes and other sites• Many underwater sites contain evidence of past civilizations• Many prehistoric landscapes are now submerged, and

preserve the memory of early human civilization• Many caves containing burials have since been flooded• Lakes and other bodies of water were often considered sacred

sites, and can contain traces of ancient religious practices

© A. Martos Lopez\UNESCO Cenote, Mexico

The Potentials of Underwater Cultural Heritage

Science• Sites of catastrophic

submersion are a ‘time-capsule’ snapshot of every day life in the past

• Underwater sites conserve biological material particularly well

• Submerged sites are rich and varied, yet little explored

© Mary Rose Trust, UK

Tourism and Urban Development•For every $1 that a visitor spends at a heritage site, they may spend up to $12 in surrounding businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, etc.

•Fisheries often employ less people in coastal areas than tourism (hotels, food sales, transport, guides)

•37% of all tourism is culture related

•Diving tourists spend more money and stay longer.

•Museums can help demonstrate a region’s cultural value

© Huang, Dejian, Baiheliang Museum

© H. Dejian, Baiheliang

Guangdong Maritime Silk Road Museum ©UNESCO

© Mary Rose Museum

Public Interest and Education

•Heritage belongs to all humanity•Responsible public access is encouraged by the 2001 Convention•UCH provides information on maritime traditions and heritage•Strong community importance, especially in coastal areas•Maritime heritage demonstrates connections with other regions of the world and promotes unity through shared heritage among nations

© Ships of Discovery, Snorkeler viewing the landing gear of a TBM Avenger

Threats to Underwater Cultural Heritage

Pillaging and Commercial Exploitation•Often the most significant sites are targeted

•Over 700,000 artefacts have been taken from a single site

•These activities destroy archaeological and historical contexts on a massive scale

•Lack of proper (costly) conservation damages artefacts

•There are no ‘good’ treasure-hunters

© Ministry of Culture, Spain, Coins from the pillaged Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes wreck (2007)

© Maksaens Denis/UNESCO. Pillager attempting to recover wood from a wreck in Haiti

Industrial Impact•Industrial works can seriously damage submerged heritage sites•The 2001 Convention does not request the prohibition of such works, only mitigation when heritage is threatened•Cooperation between archaeologists and the industry can be beneficial for both

•Damaging impacts can come from:• Tourist promenades• Oil drilling, pipeline or other infrasturcture

construction• Metro and auto-route crossing in channels or

with bridges• Recovery of gravel and sand • Building of artificial islands• Climate change, coastal erosion, pollution• Trawling

Underdevelopment of Underwater Archaeology• Many countries still lack underwater archaeologists and

experts• Commercial salvagers and treasure-hunters are often used in

place of archaeologists, which leads to the damage and destruction of important sites

• The Rules in the Annex to the 2001 Convention provide important guidelines for heritage management, but they are often not followed

© C. Grondin, Research in Vanikoro.

The Challenges for Underwater Cultural Heritage

• Legal protection for underwater cultural heritage can be achieved through:

• Articles 149 and 303 of UNCLOS• The UNESCO 2001 Convention • National implementation laws

• Operational protection and research of underwater heritage requires:

• Building local research and protection capacity

• Locating and creating inventories of sites• Ensuring effective site protection and

monitoring

• Public awareness and access requires:

• Making sites visible and accessible, either in situ, in museums or virtually

• Informing the public of the importance and value of underwater cultural heritage

Challenges

© Ministry of Culture, Croatia, Shipwreck artefacts from Croatia

UNESCO Contact:

Ulrike Guérin, UNESCO

Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001)

7, place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP France

Tel: + 33 1 45 68 44 06

Email: u.guerin@unesco.org

Web: www.unesco.org/en/underwater-cultural-heritage