Page 138 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

reason more or less in terms of profit margins and capital outlay, archaeology has a tendency to think of itself as different; so different, that it would be compelled to use other than the normal, well-known channels followed by all enterprises. Of course archaeology has its specific features. It is far from certain, however, that archaeological projects are as specific as is generally believed. In view of the comparative diminishing of dedicated public funding, the involvement of the business and financial world in cultural life, in the form of sponsoring, takes ever greater importance.
There are various types of funding and sources. A range of them can be considered to support an underwater archaeological project. Eligibility to apply for them will depend, for example, on the project team’s institutional character: the kind of legal persona that is financially accountable for the project; the kind of legal persona that is applying for funding.
Types of funding Institutional funding
Institutions like government archaeological services may have an annual budget to perform their duties. Such a budget may have entries for fieldwork, staff and other functions that can be used to implement projects. Such budgets are always limited and are best reserved for foreseeing the ‘unforeseen’. For larger and long-term operations, integral project management as advocated here is highly compatible with budgets allotted in a budgetary cycle. The annual budget is then treated as a source for subsidy and more projects can be developed.
Subsidies
For many project leaders subsidies are the first and most evident source of funding of cultural projects. They may come from local, regional, national or international sources related to governments. The most important sources are the public authorities responsible for the protection of culture. Other sources may be intergovernmental or similar
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Funding