Marine archaeology and protection of heritage in deeper water-consequences for future offshore construction projects

Abstract

In all types of construction projects companies naturally try to keep the costs as low as possible. Only the costs necessary for the safe and legally sound completion of a project are covered. Compared to what is normally the case on land and in shallow water, there has been very little legal or government involvement in most offshore underwater development projects. Besides fisheries, environmental and military interests, there are only rarely other considerations to make. However, recently there has been a change in attitude in several countries. Increased awareness of marine archaeology by the authorities responsible for the protection of cultural heritage has in the past few years led to a requirement that marine archaeological studies must be performed as an important part of commercial projects, also in deep water. This paper presents and discusses some important deep water archaeological projects that have been carried out by the Norwegian University of science and Technology. The paper also presents and discusses the Norwegian law for the protection of cultural remains and compares this with the proposed UNESCO draft convention for the protection of underwater heritage. This draft convention can mean that marine archaeology must be considered by all future deep water construction projects, all over the world. The convention will protect sites in international waters, while at the same time ensure that UNESCO member states provide the necessary protection within their own EEZ. One of the main conclusions of the paper is therefore that companies involved in marine construction projects should start addressing this challenge as soon as possible, creating a win-win situation where our common heritage is protected and the project completed without jeopardizing the reputation of both the project and the company.