Page 314 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

and a powerful advocacy voice among their peers for underwater historic preservation. Furthermore, diving organizations are an effective option for long- term site monitoring and management according to Rule 25; by encouraging a local dive club to “adopt” the shipwreck-site, archaeologists and heritage managers (who may be based elsewhere or will leave the area at the end of the project) can be assured the site will be watched over and cared for.
Local communities
In many cases, the public can, and should, be involved in the archaeological process from the beginning. This applies in particular to local communities. It is vital for local inhabitants to be implicated in the study and protection of their underwater cultural heritage. This engagement with local people, for whom the underwater cul-tural heritage has a real and immediate connection, is crucial for long-term protection. The local in-habitants see the site on a regular basis and can effectively monitor activities at the site, such as diving and fishing. By engaging them in initial research and in continuing investigations, a sense of stewardship for the underwater cultural heritage can be fostered, which ultimately will help ensure protection. The individuals who participate in the research can then become ambassadors for archaeology, by sharing information with their community and providing examples of how everyday people can be directly involved with researching local history and heritage.
Community organizations provide wonderful oppor- tunities for outreach because they are directly tied to the local identity, stay current with local events and news, and often need speakers and programmes for their meetings. Historical and genealogical so- cieties, libraries, museums, educational agencies, environmental clubs, and civic groups are generally eager to hear about archaeological research in their area. In addition, speaking to one group often generates contacts for others and the team’s public archaeologist may well find him or herself on the local speaking circuit.
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Dissemination