Underwater Archaeological Parks in Greece: The Case Studies of Methoni Bay-Sapientza Island and the Northern Sporades – Moving From A Culture of Prohibition Towards a Culture of Engagement

Summary

The representation and management of Greece's underwater archaeological heritage has recently 'set sail' from policies of almost absolute prohibition towards the recent permission of recreational diving. When past law enforcement measures attempted to gain monitoring rights and control of  underwater archaeological heritage, underwater archaeology suffered from both restrictions and a lacked of a wider community engagement which the public image of underwater archaeologists. Working within the concept that an internationally engaged underwater archaeology focuses on dynamic means of communication from antiquity onwards, this paper examines the role of underwater archaeological parks in representing an extra-national cultural asset, promoting archaeological knowledge while inspiring cultural memory. Focusing on two case studies from Methoni Bay-Sapientza Island (SW Peloponnese) and the Northern Sporades, it suggests the creation of underwater archaeological parks as a means to assure preservation and public access, and considers factors impacting underwater archaeological consolidation within a contemporary archaeological context in Greece.        

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Maritime Archaeology: a Mediterranean Perspective   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 401