Diving to a Flash of Education: Archaeological Tourism at Maritime Sites

Author(s): Della Scott-Ireton; Jennifer McKinnon

Year: 2015

Summary

Underwater archaeological sites around the world draw thousands of diving tourists lured by the excitement of shipwrecks and the beauty of the marine environment. Through scientific research and beguiling information, archaeologists have the opportunity to educate these visitors about the history of the sites and, perhaps more importantly, about the need for preservation. Effective interpretation leads to appreciation of submerged cultural sites as links to our past, rather than simply as mines of "treasure" to be salvaged for personal gain. This paper describes a variety of interpreted maritime sites to show how archaeological tourism results in changed mindsets, engaged emotions, and informed visitors.

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Cite this Record

Diving to a Flash of Education: Archaeological Tourism at Maritime Sites. Della Scott-Ireton, Jennifer McKinnon. Presented at The 80th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, San Francisco, California. 2015 ( tDAR id: 396313)