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| International Centre for Underwater Archaeology | |
|---|---|
| Name | International Centre for Underwater Archaeology |
| Established | 1968 |
| Type | Research institute |
| Location | Zadar, Croatia |
International Centre for Underwater Archaeology is an international research institute focused on submerged cultural heritage and maritime archaeology based in Zadar, Croatia. The Centre operates within a network of institutions including UNESCO, ICOMOS, ICOM, European Commission, Council of Europe, and national agencies such as the Ministry of Culture (Croatia). Its work intersects with projects associated with Blue Shield International, World Monuments Fund, Smithsonian Institution, British Museum, and regional museums like the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples).
The Centre traces roots to early maritime archaeology efforts linked to the excavations near Zadar and collaborations with scholars from University of Zadar, University of Zagreb, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Southampton, and University of Athens. Founding activities followed international initiatives such as the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001), the earlier UNESCO recommendations and legal frameworks influenced by cases like the Antikythera wreck investigation and conservation campaigns for the Uluburun shipwreck. Early partnerships included teams from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Paul S. Battersby, George Bass-led projects, and institutions like the National Museum of Archaeology (Sofia), Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities (Greece), and the National Museum of Slovenia.
The Centre's governance model involves boards and committees similar to structures at UNESCO, ICOMOS, ICCROM, and national bodies such as the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Its advisory council has included experts affiliated with University of Rome La Sapienza, University of Padua, Lund University, University of Vienna, and Leiden University. Funding and oversight have been coordinated with the European Research Council, Horizon 2020, the European Maritime Safety Agency, and ministries like the Italian Ministry of Culture and Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The Centre conducts maritime archaeology, conservation, and documentation comparable to work by PAST Foundation, MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), and the Archaeological Institute of America. Research topics intersect with studies of Mediterranean commerce exemplified by finds from the Port of Bar and the Cumaean Sibyl-era contexts, and methodological collaborations mirror approaches at Wessex Archaeology and the Vasa Museum. Conservation labs coordinate treatments used in projects at the British Museum, Louvre, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and State Hermitage Museum. The Centre applies technologies pioneered at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, NOAA and companies like Fugro to perform geophysical surveys, photogrammetry, and 3D modelling in line with standards promoted by ICOM-CC and IIC.
Educational programs have involved exchanges with University of Southampton's Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University of Haifa, Texas A&M University, University of Pennsylvania, and training formats akin to those at the Institute of Nautical Archaeology field schools. Courses cover underwater excavation methods taught alongside practical sessions similar to workshops held at Hellenic Centre for Maritime Research, Academia Europea, École Pratique des Hautes Études, and postgraduate modules offered at University College London. Trainees include staff seconded from national services such as the Croatian Conservation Institute, Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage (Italy), and the General Directorate of Antiquities (Turkey).
Major projects have included collaborative excavations modeled after the Uluburun shipwreck and Antikythera mechanism recovery, surveying coastal landscapes like the Dalmatian coast and harbor sites comparable to Portus, Ravenna, and Amphipolis. Project partnerships have featured institutions such as the Institute of Archaeology (Belgrade), Aegean Archaeological Research Center, Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, German Archaeological Institute, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). Fieldwork integrates multi-disciplinary teams similar to those deployed to the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project, Grahamstown-region surveys, and Atlantic projects involving the Portuguese National Museum of Archaeology.
The Centre publishes monographs, field reports, and proceedings in formats used by Archaeopress, Brill, Routledge, Cambridge University Press, and journals like International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Journal of Maritime Archaeology, Antiquity (journal), and Bulletin of the American Society for Overseas Research. Outreach activities include exhibitions coordinated with the Archaeological Museum Zadar, touring displays in partnership with the Museum of London, National Maritime Museum, and educational programs aligned with European Heritage Days and International Day for Monuments and Sites campaigns.
The Centre is a member or partner of international networks such as UNESCO, Blue Shield International, ICOMOS, ICOM, ICCROM, EASAA (European Association of Archaeologists), SIA (Society for Industrial Archaeology), and collaborates with universities including University of Bologna, University of Pisa, Sapienza University of Rome, Trinity College Dublin, University of Glasgow, University of Edinburgh, and research institutes like Max Planck Society, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Category:Underwater archaeology Category:Research institutes in Croatia