The Impact on the Development of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka through the UNESCO Regional Maritime Archaeology Field Schools.
Dublin Core
Title
The Impact on the Development of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka through the UNESCO Regional Maritime Archaeology Field Schools.
Description
Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka began in 1992 with focus on the historic port of Galle, but most of those
programs were supported by foreign funds and involved foreign consultations. The Avondster (1659) Marine
Archaeology Project carried out from 2001 to 2004 contributed to an extent in the creation of a group of local
archaeologists and conservators. This was useful when the Sri Lankan team took over the research and conservation
independently in 2005, after the tsunami disaster.
In 2006, UNESCO initially provided funding to Sri Lanka so that an Asia-Pacific Regional Field School
Program for Maritime Archaeology could be set up in Galle. The first and second sessions for Training the Trainers
Program took place in 2006 and 2008. However, the lack of support from the Sri Lankan government as well as the
ongoing war in the country, prompted the transfer of the field school project to Chanthaburi, Thailand. Three
Foundation Courses and two Advanced Courses for GIS and In-situ Conservation were conducted. From 2009 to
2012, 76 participants from 17 different countries joined the training courses, with 11 representatives from Sri Lanka.
This paper deals with measuring the development of maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka, especially after the
field school program. This will focus on developing infrastructure, field research, conservation, and human
resources of the Maritime Archaeology Unit (MAU). This will also discuss the steps taken to start collaboration
projects in the Asia-Pacific region and among the participants of the previous field schools. Further, the progress of
the ratification process of the UNESCO 2001 Convention in Sri Lanka will be examined.
programs were supported by foreign funds and involved foreign consultations. The Avondster (1659) Marine
Archaeology Project carried out from 2001 to 2004 contributed to an extent in the creation of a group of local
archaeologists and conservators. This was useful when the Sri Lankan team took over the research and conservation
independently in 2005, after the tsunami disaster.
In 2006, UNESCO initially provided funding to Sri Lanka so that an Asia-Pacific Regional Field School
Program for Maritime Archaeology could be set up in Galle. The first and second sessions for Training the Trainers
Program took place in 2006 and 2008. However, the lack of support from the Sri Lankan government as well as the
ongoing war in the country, prompted the transfer of the field school project to Chanthaburi, Thailand. Three
Foundation Courses and two Advanced Courses for GIS and In-situ Conservation were conducted. From 2009 to
2012, 76 participants from 17 different countries joined the training courses, with 11 representatives from Sri Lanka.
This paper deals with measuring the development of maritime archaeology in Sri Lanka, especially after the
field school program. This will focus on developing infrastructure, field research, conservation, and human
resources of the Maritime Archaeology Unit (MAU). This will also discuss the steps taken to start collaboration
projects in the Asia-Pacific region and among the participants of the previous field schools. Further, the progress of
the ratification process of the UNESCO 2001 Convention in Sri Lanka will be examined.
Creator
Wijamunige Chandraratne
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Chandraratne, Wijamunige. 2023. “The Impact on the Development of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka through the UNESCO Regional Maritime Archaeology Field Schools.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, Bobby Orillaneda, and Brian Fahy. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1996
Files
Citation
Wijamunige Chandraratne, “The Impact on the Development of Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka through the UNESCO Regional Maritime Archaeology Field Schools.,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed October 12, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1996.