"Fishers, divers, and scientists: engaging communities in underwater cultural heritage"

I am absolutely swamped at the moment, so I am going to have to leave you in the very capable hands of Dr. Peter B. Campbell, a research fellow at the British School at Rome, who presented to The American University of Rome on 6th February 2018. His talk, titled "Fishers, divers, and scientists: engaging communities in underwater cultural heritage" concerns all interested in the preservation and discovery of submerged archaeological sites.

"Underwater sites are among the most challenging environments for archaeologists and cultural heritage managers. It is necessary to engage stakeholders of all types, such as fisher, divers, and local communities, in order to properly preserve and protect submerged sites. This talk examines these challenges, as well as the potential, of maritime archaeology through current research projects. Foremost is the Fourni Archipelago in Greece, which is a small collection of islands near the large islands of Ikaria and Samos. Overlooked until recently, Fourni has revealed the largest known concentration of ancient shipwrecks. It is a wealth of information on ancient navigation and trade, serving as a key anchorage along an arterial trade route connecting the Black Sea and North Aegean to Cyprus, the Levant, and Egypt. Working with the government, sponge divers, fishermen, and local stakeholders, research at Fourni demonstrates the challenges of preservation as well as the potential of underwater sites to address big question in archaeology."