The Management of Marine Archaeological Sites In Situ and Site Sustainability

Abstract

Defining 'in situ' in management terms is usually more difficult in practice than in theory. Ideally, 'in situ' preservation is a process whereby the preferred management option is to leave underwater cultural heritage in place where it was discovered, so long as this does not result in significant damage to the resource. However, it must always be kept in mind that in situ preservation is not always the best option for all time — or even at the time of discovery. Some underwater cultural heritage is threatened by erosion, storms, looting, salvage, development and other factors. In addition, sometimes there are valid research questions that can best (or only) be answered through excavation. This paper discusses these questions in relation to domestic and international laws and in particular in consideration of the recently ratified UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.