2020/02/20 by Hefin Meara · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Archaeological Research and Protection #Archaeology #Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation #Custodians #Enthusiasm #Environmental planning #Environmental resource management #Excavation #Geography #History #Maritime and Coastal Archaeology #Political science #Public administration #State (computer science)
paper · doi:10.11141/ia.54.3
published in Internet Archaeology (University of York)
openalex publication_date 2020/02/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Funding challenges for maritime archaeology in the UK means that Historic England has to seek creative solutions to historic wreck management. This article details how historic shipwrecks in English territorial waters are protected, managed and conserved by Historic England, on behalf of the nation. Public access to protected wreck sites by volunteers is a vital part of site management. Licensed volunteers act as custodians of the wrecks and carry out many hours of diving on site, undertaking survey, condition assessments and detailed excavation. The energy, enthusiasm and skills of volunteer licensees, who have dedicated countless hours and large amounts of resources to the study of the wrecks, ensure their protection in a sustainable way for future generations to enjoy.