Trade Goods and Cultural Artifacts: The Odyssey Model

Summary

Enormous costs are involved in conducting deep-sea archaeological fieldwork, proper conservation, research and curation of recovered artifacts, followed by publication of the results. With governments facing a dire economic outlook, where will the funding come from to excavate shipwreck sites before they are destroyed by natural and manmade forces?

To help finance projects, Odyssey proposes a model whereby science and commerce are compatible, with the goal of preserving underwater cultural heritage. Culturally significant artifacts are retained in a ‘Permanent Collection’, irrespective of monetary or aesthetic value, while trade goods—mass-produced, duplicate artifacts—can be made available to private collectors, only after thorough conservation, documentation and study. Of these, representative examples are retained in the ‘Permanent Collection’ and are accessible for exhibit and further research.

Viable models for funding shipwreck exploration include developing workable partnerships between both the commercial and public sectors—a united approach to saving our threatened cultural heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 635