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Shipwrecks
are invaluable in reconstructing life-styles no longer existing
and represent a buried treasure in terms of knowledge about life
on board, boat construction and trade routes. A shipwreck is a time
capsule waiting to be unlocked since time stops when a vessel founders.
At present, there is no international
legal instrument which adequately protects the underwater cultural
heritage, which is increasingly threatened by pillage and natural
damage. This has led to the irretrievable loss of a vast part of
our collective cultural heritage.
What does the underwater cultural
heritage consist of?
Historic shipwrecks, sunken cities
and structures such as the Alexandria Lighthouse, underwater cave
paintings, Neolithic lake settlements…
Diving into the past, the underwater
cultural heritage is a significant component of human history. Like
land-based cultural heritage, it is an integral part of the common
heritage of humanity, and it deserves similar attention and management.
Why the urgency?
In some parts of the world, virtually
no underwater site has been left unpillaged. For example, the Turkish
authorities
have found that no Classical Age wreck off the country’s coast
has been left untouched.
Modern diving techniques have made
the seabed accessible to all. This has led to extensive looting
by treasure hunters who often disregard ownership rights and scientific/archaeological
methods of excavation. They thereby damage the remainder of the
site and deprive the general public of these treasures. Likewise
tourists diving, the fishing industry, pipe-laying and other activities
on the sea-bed can harm or destroy the underwater cultural heritage.
This increase in theft and destruction results in the irretrievable
loss of our common heritage. It is therefore a matter not only of
necessity but of urgency to adopt an international instrument in
order to preserve the underwater cultural heritage.
Much of the world’s underwater
heritage escapes any national control as it is located on the outer
reaches of the continental shelf or deep seabed. As early as 1956,
UNESCO’s Recommendation on International Principles Applicable
to Archaeological Excavation applied to underwater sites within
national jurisdiction. There is a need for an international legal
instrument to protect this heritage, wherever it may be.
UNESCO is currently preparing an
international convention aimed at protecting this treasure of humanity
and preserving it for future generations. The experts drafting this
instrument will take into account the principles set forth in the
ICOMOS Charter for the Protection and Management of the Underwater
Cultural Heritage and various international conventions of major
significance, such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea and UNESCO’s 1970 Convention on the Means of
Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer
of Ownership of Cultural Property.
The States Parties will collaborate
at the international level and take all reasonable measures to put
into effect the sound management principles developed by the experts
for the purpose of preserving the underwater cultural heritage in
the interests of humanity.
COUNTER POINT
by
mermaid michele
Thank You Paulo, for once
again illustrating OUR points so well with your own “scriptures”!
This ‘diatribe’ is embarrassingly UN-scientific, UN-true,
and LOADED with UN-substantiated BALDERDASH –which is further
construed into FALSE alternatives. I will counter and refute each
“statement” here…and illustrate item for item
their falsehood. “Shipwrecks are invaluable in reconstructing
life-styles no longer existing and represent a buried treasure in
terms of knowledge about life on board, boat construction and trade
routes. A shipwreck is a time capsule waiting to be unlocked since
time stops when a vessel founders.” FALSE!This statement has
already been refuted and retracted by both the Mainstream Archeological
community and the Marine Biology and Ocean Science communities.
Here’s WHY. An overwhelming majority of discovered shipwrecks
exist in an extremely dynamic and volatile environment known as
the high energy zone. The REASON it is called a high energy zone
is because more kinetic power exists in the 0-300 fsw coastal ocean
boundary than anywhere else on the planet. This energy is expressed
profoundly and dramatically through the ever changing seabed profile
and continental coastlines. This does not include by the way, other
climatic and tectonic shifts which dramatically affect the seabed,
and therefore ANYTHING submerged or lying on them. How then, can
one call ANY underwater deposit a “time capsule” –
implying these “precious artifacts” exist in a static
and untouched VACUMN repository- when in fact, these items are being
subjected to what amounts to a global tumble cycle on God’s
washing machine-loaded with sand in one of Natures most corrosive
elements – SALT WATER? At present, there is no international
legal instrument which adequately protects the underwater cultural
heritage, which is increasingly threatened by pillage and natural
damage. Wrong Again! There is and has been a very successful instrument
called the Law of Salvage and Finds and as a portion of one of the
most enduring [four hundred plus years] INTERNATIONAL forms of recognized
operational legal instruments, it has endured for centuries. It
is called Admiralty law. This has led to the irretrievable loss
of a vast part of our collective cultural heritage. ??? What a disingenuous
statement! OK. First of all, how can you lose something you haven’t
found? Secondly, WHOSE ‘irretrievable loss? Yours? The Publics?
The Governments? If yours, I revert to my initial statement. If
it’s the publics, I say they gain not suffer by private recovery
and PUBLIC display. If it’s the Government’s there’s
plenty of satisfied Governments who now have “priceless collections”
because of successful partnerships with Commercial salvors. So WHO’S
losing? My answer: NO ONE! What does the underwater cultural heritage
consist of? Historic shipwrecks, sunken cities and structures such
as the Alexandria Lighthouse, underwater cave paintings, Neolithic
lake settlements… [ and 75 year old cargo ships, airplanes,
and yes even “old dumping sites”…] Diving into
the past, the underwater cultural heritage is a significant component
of human history. Like land-based cultural heritage, it is an integral
part of the common heritage of humanity, and it deserves similar
attention and management. No one disagrees with this statement –
therefore it is posed as a false issue. Why the urgency? Interesting!
This diatribe BEGINS by asserting that the UCH’s in discussion
are “like sealed time capsules” – best left untouched
and undisturbed, but now there is urgency to “protect them”.
In some parts of the world, virtually no underwater site has been
left unpillaged. For example, the Turkish authorities have found
that no Classical Age wreck off the country’s coast has been
left untouched. This is a WHOPPER of a FLASE ALTERNATIVE! How embarrassingly
Unscientific a statement! Let’s start with “Turkish
authorities” [now THERE’s an image that conjures up
heaps of authoritative confidence!] Who are these “authorities”?
Are these “authorities” in Archeology? Are they scientists
of any sort? Are they in fact, even remotely linked to ANY cultural
data base or experience in these realms? Or are we using POLICE
or POLITICIANS as “experts” in this statement? QUALIFY
your data! Furthermore, the incredible leap here is simply embarrassing!
Are you actually asserting that these so called “authorities”
are claiming that they have SEEN and ASSESSED each and every “classical
wreck” in their waters? When did this incredible feat occur?
That would be news in itself! How could they possibly KNOW whether
these wrecks were “pillaged” or rather disturbed and
destroyed by natural ocean dynamics? If they can figure this out,
it would also be BIG news. Modern diving techniques have made the
seabed accessible to all. Are you kidding? Less than one percent
of the world’s population even dives. And more importantly,
less than five percent of the ocean’s “seabed”
is accessible to ANYONE, much less has been explored. I am one of
many who yearn to change this, but this is again a wholly unscientific
polemic, intended only to create a alarmist reaction in those who
don’t know any better. Shame on those who pretend this is
a logical scientific claim. This has led to extensive looting by
treasure hunters who often disregard ownership rights and scientific/archaeological
methods of excavation. Uh-Huh. Right. A perfect example of Demonizing
an extremely tiny minority margin -and completely ignoring the OVERWHELMING
evidence to the contrary. The facts and documented data speaks for
itself and this is a bald faced lie. A commercial salvage company
can not survive today NOR maintain a profit without performing exemplary
scientific and archeological management of recoveries. The truth
is, most ‘archeologically correct” UCH’s involve
commercial marine intervention operations because they are simply
the best at doing this. You academic socialist nutballs are simply
suffering from an extreme underwater version of penis envy! They
thereby damage the remainder of the site and deprive the general
public of these treasures. Likewise tourists diving, the fishing
industry, pipe-laying and other activities on the sea-bed can harm
or destroy the underwater cultural heritage. This increase in theft
and destruction results in the irretrievable loss of our common
heritage. It is therefore a matter not only of necessity but of
urgency to adopt an international instrument in order to preserve
the underwater cultural heritage. Oh Ho! So here you let the socialist
cat out of the bag! No pretense whatsoever of politics posing as
science! Much of the world’s underwater heritage escapes any
national control as it is located on the outer reaches of the continental
shelf or deep seabed. As early as 1956, UNESCO’s Recommendation
on International Principles Applicable to Archaeological Excavation
applied to underwater sites within national jurisdiction. There
is a need for an international legal instrument to protect this
heritage, wherever it may be. Hmmm! And HOW pray tell will it protect
something it can not reach? How can it protect something it can
not prove is there? I particularly like the verbiage used here-
such as CONTROL. [Fact is, you don’t need to CONTROL something
in order to PROTECT it!] UNESCO is currently preparing an international
convention aimed at protecting this treasure of humanity and preserving
it for future generations. The experts drafting this instrument
will take into account the principles set forth in the ICOMOS Charter
for the Protection and Management of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
and various international conventions of major significance, such
as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and
UNESCO’s 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing
the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural
Property. Again, you emphasize exactly WHY The Untied States of
America, and other FREE ENTERPRISE, FREE MARKET DEMOCRACIES will
not subscribe to UNESCO’s “politics posing as policies”.
The States Parties will collaborate at the international level and
take all reasonable measures to put into effect the sound management
principles developed by the experts for the purpose of preserving
the underwater cultural heritage in the interests of humanity. “The
States parties”…. Hmmmm, Anyone read Orwell’s
Animal Farm lately? Apparently UNESCO subscribes to the notion that
“Some Animals are more equal than others”…. And
no animals can make a profit from anything pertaining to the past.
So, what’s left? |
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