Underwater cultural heritage is fascinating due to the mystery of its location under water and the historical context. It is often the reminder of a human tragedy – the ending of a journey and a loss of human lives. The discovery of a wreck or ruin allows to step back into the past and relive the last moments of the ship and its crew.
In situ presentation - Museums and Archaeological Sites under Water
Once out of the water and exhibited on land, objects from submerged archaeological sites are deprived of their context and lose part of their significance. Therefore, several recent initiatives have undertaken to offer visitors in situ experiences . They include dive trails, submersible tours for non-divers and the construction of underwater museums.
• The Alexandria underwater museum project
• More
Museums and Exhibitions on Land
Many important museums on land exhibit objects recovered from underwater ruins or shipwrecks, or even exhibit whole wrecks.
Virtual site presentation
Many underwater cultural heritage sites have become accessible to divers, however not all of them. Some remains are located in great depths, are subject to the influence of strong currents or lie in almost absolute darkness. This is favorable for their long-term conservation, it hinders however public enjoyment. Several projects are therefore ongoing to present these sites to the public by generating 3-D renderings to enable virtual exploration. Data collection through autonomous or remotely operated unmanned vehicles equipped with specialized sonar and photogrammetric gadgets may therefore soon provide a wider public with the sight of submerged archaeological sites.
Initiative projects include:
• the Venus project
• the Bahia Brazil project.
Economic impact
The attraction of the historic significance, beauty and authenticity of underwater sites can have a considerable economic importance for many regions. Not only are the Roskilde, Mary Rose, Bodrum, Vasa or Hedeby museums among the most visited tourist attractions of their States. The diving industry also profits largely from the visits of tourists to submerged sites. The underwater museum project in Alexandria, Egypt, is for instance also intended to revive in an integrated approach the whole urban centre of the city.
Important factors for the attraction and sustainability of sites include: