The Innovative and State of the Art Public Access Management of Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Development of Underwater Archaeology in Malta
1.2. Legislation and Underwater Cultural Heritage
‘movable or immovable objects of artistic, architectural, historical, archaeological, ethnographic, palaeontological and geological importance and includes information or data relative to cultural heritage pertaining to Malta or to any other country. This includes archaeological, palaeontological or geological sites and deposits, human remains, landscapes, underwater and seascapes, groups of buildings, as well as scientific collections, collections of natural specimens and art objects, manuscripts, books, published material, archives, audio–visual material and reproductions of any of the preceding, or collections of historical value, as well as intangible cultural assets comprising arts, traditions, customs and skills employed in the performing arts, in applied arts and in crafts and other intangible assets which have a historical, artistic or ethnographic value’.[20] (Article 2)
‘For the purpose of this Act, an object shall not be deemed to form part of the cultural heritage unless it has existed in Malta, including the territorial waters thereof, or in any other country, for fifty years, or unless it is an object of cultural, artistic, historical, ethnographic, scientific or industrial value, even if contemporary, that is worth preserving’.[20] (Article 3)
- The creation of protected zones (Article 45).
- The requirements for custody of UCH (Article 46).
- The granting of permits for the exploration or recovery of shipwrecks and relics (Article 48).
- The duty to report the discovery of shipwrecks and relics.
2. UCHU and Its Functions
2.1. Site Identification and Evaluation
2.2. Identification of Threats
2.3. Protection Principles
2.4. Smart Public Access Management
2.5. UCHU Initiatives
3. Marketing and Promotion
4. UCHU Sites
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Gambin, T.; Sausmekat, M.; Kovacevic, D. The Innovative and State of the Art Public Access Management of Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage. Heritage 2021, 4, 3365-3381. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040187
Gambin T, Sausmekat M, Kovacevic D. The Innovative and State of the Art Public Access Management of Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage. Heritage. 2021; 4(4):3365-3381. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040187
Chicago/Turabian StyleGambin, Timmy, Maja Sausmekat, and Darko Kovacevic. 2021. "The Innovative and State of the Art Public Access Management of Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage" Heritage 4, no. 4: 3365-3381. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4040187