Page 133 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

- the ecological consequences of an intervention; and
- the benefits for the public, for research and specific stakeholder groups.
By analyzing these aspects, the archaeologist in charge can decide on an adequate intervention and the methods to be employed: non-destructive under- water exploration including documentation of visible remains, in situ preservation, or archaeological exca- vations and conservation/restoration operations. The project objectives, cost estimate and the amount of financial resources required will depend on this choice.
Estimation of costs
A detailed and balanced budget estimate is in- dispensable for the successful completion of the project. It needs to take account of both the costs of the archaeological intervention and the costs for conservation, documentation and curation of reco- vered artefacts, report preparation and dissemination in the short- and long-term.
Precise and reliable cost estimates of the individual phases should be combined in a global budget estimate. This is required to determine the total amount of funding needed, but also to correctly allocate funding to the individual project phases and their accurately calculated partial budgets. The funding plan needs to take
account of possible price increases, particularly for long-term projects, as well as for changing envi- ronmental conditions.
The calculation of the cost-estimate and the amount of resources to be involved in the rea- lisation of the project will depend on the method, the manner and extent
 © Thijs Maarleveld. Archaeologist Thijs Maarleveld mapping the sixteenth century wrecksite Scheurrak SO 1 in the western Wadden Sea, using trilateration and voice recording. In estimating the cost of a project the number of hours used in basic recording is an important factor.The shifting shallows of the Wadden Sea with strong tidal currents and lots of sediment
in suspension and transport, feature low visibility and generally disadvantageous working conditions.This is a factor that influences the methods chosen and the number of hours to be invested in basic documentation and therefore influences the estimation of costs.
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Funding