Page 21 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

In situ preservation as the
first option
Rule 1. The protection of underwater cultural heritage through in situ preservation shall be considered as the first option. Accordingly, activities directed at underwater cultural heritage shall be authorized in a manner consistent with the protection of that he- ritage, and subject to that requirement, may be authorized for the purpose of making a significant contribution to protection or knowledge or enhancement of underwater cultural heritage.
The first sentence of Rule 1, “The protection of under- water cultural heritage through in situ preservation shall be considered as the first option” is the core of this rule. The consideration given to preservation in situ by the Convention and its ANNEX is based on the recognition of the importance of the interplay between the site, its story and its context. It is the most telling phrase in the whole ANNEX, while at the same time it is certainly the most debated and the least understood, especially in the context of underwater exploration. Such misunderstanding is nurtured by those who do not want any regulation to curtail their interests. They will claim that archaeology is about finding things and therefore it would be ludicrous to say that things should be left in place. It is certainly true that archaeological research – like any research – is about seeking knowledge and it is even about finding objects in order to do this. This popular image is evidently a simplification of the scientific research process of which archaeological investigation forms a part, but nonetheless the popular image is surely not wrong per se. The fact, however, that finding out things ‘in the field’ is not an isolated endeavour, has fundamental consequences for the organization of archaeological research.
 © INAH / SAS. Ancient anchor from Boris shipwreck, Chinchorro Bank, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Located approximately 30 km from the mainland, the atoll of Banco Chinchorro is a continuous reef that covers approx. 800 km2. The remains of at least 18 ships that sank between the 17th and the 19th century have been discovered there.
The Chinchorro Reef was known to sailors, who dreaded it as early as the colonial period.Travelling from Cartagena (Colombia) to Spain by way of Havana (Cuba) required ships to pass close to the bank.
Banco Chinchorro has been declared an Archaeological Marine sanctuary by the Mexican government.The archaeological sites are thus protected and are being conserved in situ.
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In situ preservation is the first option, because
• The site of a historic event is authentic,
• Context defines significance,
• Heritage is finite.
General Principles