Underwater cultural heritage and underwater archaeology
In cooperation with DEGUWA (German Society for Underwater Archaeology) the working group "Underwater Cultural Heritage and Underwater Archaeology" was founded.The aim of the working group is to advance the protection of underwater cultural heritage on a national and international level and to participate in ICUCH, the international committee for the protection of underwater cultural heritage. In addition, the aim is to develop measures against theft and destruction as well as concepts for the return of underwater cultural property from private ownership. Public relations and public science will be key focuses. High-profile campaigns on Facebook and Instagram offer a good starting point because of their wide user accessibility and are intended to attract public interest. The interested public will be reached via articles in relevant journals and specialist print media. This will be supplemented by public events, conferences and lectures. Here, too, public interest can be gained in advance by means of a campaign via social media.
The Leopoldina's discussion paper "Spuren unter Wasser” (traces under water) provides an excellent overview of underwater cultural assets and their protection in the German coastal seas and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This situation report is complemented by the Guidelines for Construction Measures in the Coastal Sea published by the archaeological authorities of the three northern German coastal states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein. This guideline would be equally applicable to the EEZ. Both are recommendations to the Federal Government for action. It is not apparent that the Federal Government intends to ratify the UNESCO Convention of 2001 in the near future. Therefore, civil society initiative seems all the more necessary to us. You don't have to be a full-time conservationist or earn your living in this sector in order to be a strong advocate for the protection of cultural assets.
For the most effective, promising and efficient work, the express wish is that the group actively participates and cooperates with the members of ICOMOS and DEGUWA. Only in this way civil society initiative for the protection of underwater cultural heritage can be strengthened.
Interested and motivated people who would like to get involved in the protection of the underwater cultural heritage are asked to get in touch with us.
Contact persons for this working group are:
Luisa Goldammer
Katrin Vill
E-Mail: Unterwasser-ICOMOS@gmx.de
