In the last of a series on coastal archaeological sites and climate change, Professor Lucy Blue speaks to Dr Alex Kent, Coastal Connections Lead, a global partnership between English Heritage and World Monuments Fund.  Learn how Hurst Castle, a coastal fort built on England’s southern coast is falling into the sea due to undercutting of the shingle due to storm surges and, like hundred of other sites globally, is suffering from the impacts of climate change.  By bringing together communities around the world that face similar issues, hear how Coastal Connections network aims to share common challenges and a range of solutions, including nature based ones and innovative regional ones. Aided by a series of online workshops and discussions, it became clear that there are many similarities faced by sites around the world.  Alex maps out the goals of Coastal Connections, including site information sheets, creating a worldwide network of coastal site managers and practionners sharing and showcasing solutions, as well as training hubs to equip across generations practical skills to sustainably manage heritage sites. 

In the third of our four-part series on climate change and the threat to maritime cultural heritage, Professor Lucy Blue speaks to Dr Georgia Holly, Project Manager of the Cultural Heritage Framework Programme (CHFP), that sits under the umbrella of Ocean Decade Heritage Network (ODHN).  Remarkably, it is the only programme that integrates the marine cultural heritage into the Ocean Decade and is recognised by mainstream ocean sciences. Discover how the CHFP engages with maritime cultural projects from around the globe and once a project is endorsed, it gets access to a whole host of benefits including training and networking, and support and visibility of the Network. Hear how SeaVoice, their online magazine champions projects by people who work and live near water and encourages us not only to appreciate these precious resources but inspires constructive action in terms of promoting and protecting marine cultural heritage.

Dr. Georgia Holly thanks the CHFP and SeaVoice teams for making these projects and activities possible 

Professor Lucy Blue speaks to Dr Athena Trakadas, Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Ocean Decade Heritage Network (ODHN) about the role of cultural heritage within the United Nation's Ocean Decade, as part of our mini-series on climate change and its impact on marine and coastal heritage. Hear how the Ocean Decade endeavours to bring marine cultural heritage experts together with the other ocean scientists.  Sitting within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-30), is an initiative of housed in the UN's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), and aims was set up to meet the goals of sustainable development, particularly goal STG SDG 14 – life under water - as part of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Whilst the value of cultural heritage might be intuitive to heritage practitioners working with communities that live on the sea, it was more difficult to demonstrate to others in the oceanographic sciences the necessity of addressing heritage.  However, the inclusion of cultural heritage in the discussions expanded the number of societal outcomes of the Ocean Decade, and participation in conferences and policy forums has helped bring visibility to cultural heritage at the inter-governmental and national levels.  Nonetheless, changes in policy and governance are still needed to create a more integrated, holistic, and sustainable approach, and working to change minds remains the biggest challenge! The hope is that the UN Ocean Decade will change perspectives and bring about the ‘Ocean We Want’ inclusive of cultural heritage. 

 Professor Lucy Blue asks Dr Colin Breen, Associate Head of School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University to outline the issues of climate change and its impact on marine and coastal heritage, in the first of this new Dive and Dig Series that explores this pressing theme.  Although the climate has been changing over many millennia, we are now seeing the pace of change occurring at a much greater rate together with increased intensity of storms, all driving loss to heritage in the coastal zone. Colin explains the impact of this destruction through a range of climate, as well as anthropogenic threats, and illustrates with examples from the North and East African coasts, the devastating impact of these storm bombs on the coastal and marine heritage. Colin emphasises the importance of documenting coastal heritage and assessing the impact of threat and potential preservation, a methodology being developed by the Arcadia funded MarEA project that he co-directs (https://marea.soton.ac.uk/). Not everything can be saved, however, might a joint nature-culture approach be a better way forward? Colin suggests that it is and that we must move out of our silos and create an integrated heritage network to protect and manage these precious resources. 

Professor Lucy Blue is in Egypt with a team of specialists co-directing a project with the Universities of Southampton and Ulster as part of the MarEA (Endangered Maritime Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa) project.  Together with experts from the Universities of Alexandria and Mersa Matruh, Egypt they are utilizing satellite imagery and other technologies to explore the western section of the north African coastline of Egypt.  This approach has revealed an extraordinary number of ancient sites, many dating back over 2,000 years. The findings shed new light on the rich maritime history of the region, including trade, settlement, and cultural interactions along the Mediterranean coast. This large-scale survey is crucial for documenting and preserving vulnerable archaeological sites, many of which are under threat from modern development and environmental changes. 

Speaking with members of the team, including Dr Nicholas Ray, MarEA, Ulster University and Dr Ziad Morsy and Hagar Wafik from the Centre of Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage, University of Alexandria, and Dr. Basma Khalili, a ceramic expert from the University of Mersa Matruh, we learn that the project has uncovered remarkable archaeological finds from pottery production sites to rock-cut tombs. Some of the discovered sites span several kilometres, highlighting the scale of these ancient settlements and hinting at the vibrant trade networks of the time. 

MarEA is a research project based in the University of Southampton and partners in University of Ulster, funded by Arcadia and the NW Egypt coastal survey is largely funded by the Honor Frost Foundation.

 Professor Lucy Blue is in Naples speaking with Pierre Poveda (Center Camille Jullian, CNRS), a maritime archaeologist who is co-leading, with his colleague Franca Cibecchini (DRASSM, french ministry of Culture), the excavation of a shipwreck lying in French waters between Cannes and the Île Sainte-Marguerite, home to Fort Royal. The wreck dating to around 180 BC is well preserved, with its entire port side buried beneath masses of dead roots of Posidonia seagrass. A few small wooden artefacts, including writing tablets have been recovered, as well as Italian amphorae that were transporting wine. Despite its hidden location the site has proven vulnerable to looting, and Pierre shares the dramatic story surrounding approximately 100 amphorae taken mostly from the wreck and also from other archaeological sites.  Further seasons of work are planned, with the goal of displaying the finds at the Museum of Fort Royal offering the public a closer look at these ancient maritime treasures and the ship’s role in Mediterranean trade. 

 

The excavation of the Hellenistic wreck Fort-Royal 1 is being carried out under the joint direction of Franca Cibecchini (Drassm - Ministry of Culture) and Pierre Poveda (CCJ-CNRS-AMU), who offer the following thanks:

We would also like to thank the City of Cannes, and our collaborators: the Institut Arkaia (Aix marseille Université), the Musée départemental Arles antique (MdAa), the MAC-Centre d'Arqueologia Subaquàtica de Catalunya (CASC), the Scoop Ipso Facto and, of course, all those involved in the excavation: archaeologists and members of the Alfred Merlin crew. 

 Travel with Professor Lucy Blue to the village of Imbotero, Guyana to meet Dr Robert (Bob) Holtzman an expert in traditional boatbuilding to learn about the Warrau dugout canoe. Twice daily tides in the tropical mangrove swamp mean canoes are essential for survival of the indigenous Warrau people.  Not only are they used for transportation, but also for foraging in the forest for land crabs, fishing and visiting neighbours. Over two field seasons Bob paddled around the villages in a canoe observing how the Warrau connect to their environment and fashion their canoes. Learn how these canoes - that can be up to 10 meters long, are hollowed out of a single tree trunk using chainsaws and adzes by skilled artisans.  And, why a consistent thickness achieved by eye, feel and even sound is crucial to the final stages when it is placed over a fire to expand the wood allowing it to be spread apart without cracking, capturing the boat making techniques of this art before they are lost in the tide of modernisation.  

Professor Lucy Blue delves into the wreck of The London, a 17th century warship, with diver and licensee Steve Ellis.  The ship exploded and sank in the Thames Estuary in 1665 and was rediscovered in 2005 when a ports authority survey was being conducted.  Since 2010, Steve has been directing the survey of the vessel and recovering artefacts with permission from Historic England.  A Second Rate vessel in the English Navy, The London was carrying 76 guns and a mix of over 300 crew and family readying to join a fleet preparing to fight in the Second Anglo-Dutch War, when tragedy struck. This significant archaeological site offers insights into 17th-century naval warfare, however despite it being a protected wreck of great historic value, there has been little funding or support from government sources. Over 1200 finds have been recovered and Steve will reveal his most recent discovery that is truly remarkable.

A special thanks to Mark Beattie-Edwards and the Save the London campaign for their wonderful support in helping to continue to dive this site. 

Find out more about the London Shipwreck Project here: https://www.facebook.com/TheLondonShipwreckproject

To donate, please visit the project website: https://thelondonshipwreckproject.com/save-the-london/

Professor Lucy Blue speaks with associate Professor in Egyptology, Dr Claire Somaglino from the Sorbonne, about two decades of excavation at the site of Ayn Soukhna at the northern end of the Red Sea in the Gulf of Suez. During Pharaonic times, this important site was occupied over an extensive period, as not only was it close to the important centre of Memphis, but there was a spring, an oasis with trees and a sheltered anchorage, making it a perfect harbour.  Rock inscriptions led to its discovery and seasons of excavation have revealed it was a hive of activity with workshops, dwellings, redox furnaces for processing ore and galleries housing some of the oldest seagoing vessels in the world.  Discover how the boats were used to bring food to the mining areas of the South Sinai and returned with copper ore required for making tools and precious turquoise, which was fashioned into jewellery prized by the Pharaohs.      

Ayn Soukhna is an Egyptian-French excavation (dir. C. Somaglino, M. El-Weshahi), supported by : IFAO, CNRS, Sorbonne University, Suez Canal University, and the Honor Frost Foundation. 

Recorded live on the island of Cyprus, Professor Lucy Blue speaks to Constantinos Nicolaou a leading expert in Cypriot traditional boat building. Costantinos recently headed up a training workshop hosted by the Honor Frost Foundation’s Cyprus Regional Development Project, that brought together experts from the eastern Mediterranean region working on traditional boat recording.  Costantinos directs a project that documents the remaining working boats in Cyprus and maps out different topologies and the influences that have shaped Cypriot vernacular boat building over time.  Hear how by looking at this development you learn about the history of the island, including the islands independence from British colonial rule and the Turkish invasion, and how these events changed boat shape construction. Is there a boat construction history on the island? What is the legacy of boat building in Cyprus?  Costantinos also reveals how his interviews with living boat builders, has further exposed their contribution to the history of vernacular boat building on the island.