Page 203 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

information, consolidation, and maintenance. Thus, they enable the realization of the benefits and obli- gations for society.
General policies that deploy a management plan for all sites according to significance are rare. However, once an action directed at underwater cultural heritage is undertaken, especially when it is intrusive, consideration should be given to establishing a programme on how to manage the changes that occur. Rule 10 therefore lists both a conservation programme and a site management and maintenance policy for the whole duration of the project as one of the aspects to be integrated in the project design. Rule 24 elaborates conservation issues and Rule 25 further elaborates the necessity to develop a programme of management of the site during and in the aftermath of the phases of intervention.
Rule 25. the site management programme shall provide for the protection and management in situ of underwater cultural heritage, in the course of and upon termination of fieldwork. the programme shall include public information, reasonable provision for site stabilization, monitoring, and pro- tection against interference.
Management generally consists of deploying and coordinating resources most effectively and efficiently in order to accomplish a range of objectives and ultimately the protection of a given archaeological site. To that end, a written plan is devised describing the overall guidelines within which all activity directed at the heritage in situ is organized to ensure that agreed project objectives are achieved in a timely manner with due consideration for potentially conflicting interests. According to Rule 25 a management programme must provide for the protection and management in situ of heritage, during and after fieldwork. The management plan also includes considerations on public information, site stabilization, monitoring, and protection against interference.
 © PROAS-INAPL. Members of the team who participated in the protection of the Bahia Galenses
II wreck, Chubut, Patagonia, Argentina.
As a method of in situ preservation, sandbags proved
to be an excellent short-term solution for reburial of the 19th century wreck known as the Bahía Galenses 2. It is equally a common practise after excavation, to backfill exposed areas and to place sandbags on top to ensure the site remained covered. Sandbags are also commonly used as filler between survey seasons, and are often used in conjunction with other methods of reburial.
In some circumstances, sandbags can be used as an emergency tool until a more efficient, long-term solution can be determined However one has to bear in
mind that the material of the
bags has a finite life and that the bags themselves change water movement over the site, causing what is called toe scour.
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Conservation and site management