Page 193 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

 © National Museum
of Underwater Archaeology. ARQUA.Top: Protection cage for the Mazarrón II, Spain.
Bottom: Construction of the protective cage for the Mazarrón II, Spain.
In order to preserve the wreck
of a Phoenician ship of the 7th century BC, discovered in the Bay of Mazarrón near Cartagena, a protection cage was constructed and solidly fixed over the hull remains preserved in situ.
The Mazarrón I, a Phoenician wreck discovered in the Bay of Mazarrón has been excavated and is now on display in the ARQUA Museum in Cartagena. These two wrecks have provided important information about how the Phoenicians constructed their ships.
3. the metallic heritage approach, whereby preventive conservation prepares for excavation (extraction of wrecks and artefacts) or long-term conservation, including, for instance, cathodic protection.
Recovering objects
 Recovering objects of underwater cultural heritage is a very difficult operation, which requires continuous attention and meticulous planning. It must enable a quick break in the equilibrium between the materials and the environment. Some specific precautions are therefore required to ensure a good recovery. During this operation, the security of divers is always paramount to the security of artefacts. When undertaking artefact recovery, it is important to keep in mind that water and silt offer a natural support for the artefacts. The
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Conservation and site management