Page 165 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

or ‘that makes a person suitable (or competent) for a particular position or task’. Qualification is often based on a formal training process with a measurable outcome, such as a university degree, for example.
The key words are skills, knowledge, capacity, ability and formal training.
From these definitions it is clear that competence and qualification are closely linked and that a person’s qualifications contribute to the competence in the activities undertaken. However, it is important to remember that these are separate concepts. Being qualified in a field does not guarantee that a person is also competent to carry out a specific task. The two concepts should therefore always be judged separately.
The qualified underwater archaeologist should have scientific competence appropriate to the project.
Qualifications for underwater
archaeologists
The key requirement of Rule 22 is that interventions on underwater heritage should be directed, con- trolled and overseen by a qualified and competent underwater archaeologist.
Archaeology is a scientific discipline concerned with reconstructing past human life and culture from the material remains that survive. In the case of under-
 © Emad Khalil. Alexandria Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
The first class of maritime archaeology in the University.
A small number of universities worldwide offer degrees
of underwater or maritime archaeology at undergraduate
or postgraduate level.The study at the university is a first step towards becoming an underwater archaeologist. However, this theoretical formation should be supplemented by years of full time professional experience applying the theories, methods and practices of underwater archaeology to the identification, evaluation, documentation
or treatment of underwater archaeological sites.
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Competence and qualifications