UNESCO conference on the protection of underwater cultural heritage

On 13-14 December 2011, marine scientists and archaeologists from all over the world will meet at the Royal National Library in Brussels. They will discuss how to improve the protection of our underwater heritage. The meeting will take place on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Heritage.

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According to estimates, there are about 3 million wrecks at the bottom of the seas and oceans! In addition, the waters of the Mediterranean Sea took under its surface about 150 cities. Some of them great and old, such as Pompeii, founded in the 7th century BC. Unfortunately, all of these sites are under threat, with looting, oil exploration and drilling being just some of the dangers facing this great heritage.

Organised in the Belgian capital, the meeting will bring together more than 200 participants to assess the situation and take appropriate steps to improve the effective protection of these historic sites. Among the invited guests will be: Michel L’Hour from the Department of Underwater Research and Maritime Archaeology (France), Xavier Nieto Prieto – Director of the National Museum of Maritime Archaeology (Spain) or Ian Shepard – from the European Commission for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The meeting will begin on the evening of 12 December with the conference “Amazing History Underwater”, open to the public. During it, three renowned archaeologists will share their experiences gained while working at some of the most interesting archaeological sites underwater. James Delgado of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will talk about the wreck of the Titanic liner, while Kenzo Hayashida of the Asian Reasearch Institute for Underwater Archaeology, will discuss the lost fleet of the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. The third topic, on sunken cities, will be led by Nicolas Flemming of the National Oceanographic Center of South Hampton.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2001. It recognises the need to ensure the same level of protection for cultural heritage located above and below the water. It also defines the basic standards and principles according to which this heritage should be protected. The arrangements have so far been ratified by 40 countries.

Source: unesco.org
Photo: wikipedia.org