#MAREMonday 32

On 07.10.2024 we present the 32st session of our online lecture series with a contribution of

Rebecca Xerri
(University of Malta)

A Journey to the Depths: Making Deepwater Archaeology Accessible

Abstract:

This presentation will provide an overview of the researcher’s current doctoral research on the management and communication of deepwater archaeological parks. It shall delve into the concept of accessibility, referring to UNESCO’s insistence on public access to in situ cultural heritage within the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001). In line with UNESCO’s aims, the presentation will detail some of the management and communication strategies that can be used for underwater archaeological parks. The data presented is based on comparative analyses into the world’s foremost archaeological parks and preserves and best-practice models for managing and communicating underwater cultural heritage resources. The researcher will home in on specifically deepwater archaeology, using the case study of the Xlendi Underwater Archaeological Park to illustrate some of the possibilities, as well as potential challenges, that come with opening a deepwater site to the public.