Editorial
‘‘‘U nderwater cultural heritage’’means all traces of human
陶泥制作existence having a cultural,historical or archaeological
character which have been partially or totally under water,
periodically or continuously,for at least100years’(Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage,UNESCO,2001).
广告艺术
Over the centuries,vesls of various shapes and sizes have plied our as and rivers carrying merchandi and men with dreams of trade and conquest.Relics
of this past are found in almost every part of the world,buried beneath both
freshwater and saltwater.Famed underwater archaeological sites include Port Royal
in Jamaica and the ruins of the famous Lighthou of Alexandria on the island of
Pharos(one of the Seven Wonders of the World).But above all,there exist3million
shipwrecks,some of which are believed to contain valuable items.Unfortunately,
underwater excavations of such sites have become associated with treasure hunting.But
the remains lying in sand or silt are reprentative of a much greater wealth:the
history of humankind in all its diversity.With modern diving techniques,the
underwater kingdom,its wrecks and its archaeological deposits,have become easier to
电脑迷access and as a conquence are now at risk.Becau States have concentrated their
有效的同义词
efforts on prerving land-bad cultural heritage(both tangible and intangible),天天晚上开着日
underwater heritage,for its part,is only partially covered by protective legislation.
On the basis that the principle of cultural diversity will only be recognized if common interests are defended,UNESCO has drawn up a complete t of hard and soft
standard-tting instruments for the cultural sphere.The include the2001
Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.Following the
example of land-bad heritage,this offers States Parties‘common principles’on
safeguarding the underwater cultural heritage of humanity.The2001Convention came
into force on2January2009–eight years after it was adopted.This unusually long
period is a reflection not only of the range of political and economic issues surrounding
the Convention,but also of the stormy nature of the accompanying discussions.
全诗
The ups and downs of cooperation between States,the market value of underwater heritage,and the role that prervation of submerged sites and wrecks plays
4ISSN1350-0775,No.240(vol.60,No.4,2008)ÓUNESCO2009
Published by UNESCO Publishing and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
菠萝水果茶Editorial in social and economic development are just some of the questions being raid by underwater cultural heritage–a heritage that,for thefirst time,is being defined by its place of discovery.
This current issue of MUSEUM International attempts to address the issues, starting with an overview of site exploration and the problems that this new form of cultural heritage po for prervation.Thefirst article by David Nutley examines underwater sites as‘time capsules’,and looks at the ways in which their opening by diving archaeologists can shed light on history.This has obvious benefits for science, while enabling us to better comprehend our roots in time and place.However,this hardly corresponds to the media’s romantic approach to the discovery of submerged remains.But as Tatiana Villegas Zamora demonstrates,underwater treasure hunting may be synonymous with profit for some,but reprents an irreversible loss for the great majority.
In many cas,archaeological artefacts end up in the hands of unscrupulous traders,with the result that whole swathes of human endeavour are lost to science and the public.This being the ca,why not allow wrecks to remain in their original surroundings?Indeed,as Martijn Manders explains,water is also extremely effective in prerving the remains of wrecks it caus.As Jean-Bernard Memet makes clear in his article,increasingly sophisticated technological innovations make possible the conrvation of shells of submerged wrecks regardless of the material from which they are made.But then aris the question of how to arrange public access.Ambitious muology projects are already being planned in the Bay of Alexandria and the artificial lake of the Three Gorges Dam in China.The once-distant dream of‘underwater muums’as environments not only for divers and snorkellers,but where visitors can view sites without even getting wet,is no longer afigment of our imaginations:it is about to become a reality.
Today,we are more aware that in order to prerve a cultural item it isfirst necessary to recognize its existence in law.Unfortunately,where underwater heritage is concerned,the situation varies considerably from one State to another.Some States had no specific legislation while others had only a bare minimum.Even the most protective domestic law proved insufficient to the task.An international agreement was therefore esntial.The UNESCO Convention of2001complements Stat
es’existing legal arrangements as well as the1982Convention on the Law of the Sea by providing a specific framework not only for protection,but also for cooperation between its States Parties.The articles by Ulrike Koschtial and Thijs Maarleveld in the cond part of this
ISSN1350-0775,No.240(Vol.60,No.4,2008)5
Editorial
issue examine the debate and ensuing controversy surrounding the Convention,and
demonstrate that itfills a gap in the law that formerly gave free rein to trafficking,
looting and illegal excavation.The Convention and the rules it lays down are not
intended to curb intelligent initiatives or affect titles to wrecks.On the contrary,its
purpo is tofind common ground.Its enforcement nevertheless remains a challenge
for many States.In his article,Gilson Rambelli discuss the ca of Brazil,which,
thanks to the work of ARCHEMAR,among others,is an example of what countries can
achieve in terms of public awareness to promote protection.
The third part of this issue explores how underwater cultural heritage is rolling back the frontiers of theory and practice with regards to heritage protection.The
铁路学校哪个好professional sphere is eing the emergence of cross-training,with more archaeologists
and conrvators learning how to dive,and sports divers becoming advocates for
underwater heritage prervation.Thefield of sustainable development is expanding,
now reaching beyond the boundaries of coastal areas to encompass entire regions–a
subject that Jann Mesic´explores,using the example of Croatia.Francisco J.S.Alves
describes advances in the experimentalfield,with Portugal’s creation of underwater
archaeological trails,while Luis Alberto Martos Lo´pez explains the importance of the
exploration of underwater cenotes in the heart of Maya country–themlves unique
heritage sites,who existence is now at risk.
The preparation of this issue benefited from the preparatory work of two archaeologists,Rodrigo Solinis Casparius and Tatiana Villegas Zamora,as well as
the support of our colleagues in charge of the implementation of the2001Convention.
We offer to all our thanks for their collaborative efforts.
Isabelle Vinson
E DITOR-IN-C HIE
F 6Published by UNESCO Publishing and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
