The Archaeomap project – for Archaeological Management Policies – kicked off in the town of Palerme, on the Italian island of Sicily,
on 7 December 2007. Financed by the European Commission to the tune of 480 000 euros, the project foresees the establishment of an
international committee to coordinate the elaboration of integrated science policies for the Mediterranean’s coastal zone. The aim
is to develop a common framework for sustainable development of the zone to preserve its natural, cultural and underwater heritage.
Over the next two years, the archaeological treasures of ten pilot sites will be studied: the Aegadian Islands off the northwest
coast of Sicily and the Sinis Peninsula on the west coast of the island of Sardinia (both in Italy), the island of Pharos in
Alexandria (Egypt), Gibraltar (UK), Empuria on Spain’s Costa Brava, the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer (France), Salonika Bay (Greece),
the island state of Malta and the Phoencian cities of Carthage (Tunisia) and Tyr (Lebanon).
Under the guidance of the international committee, the project will develop innovative methodologies and interdisciplinary
indicators for measuring progress towards sustainable development of the Mediterranean coast. The Committee will meet twice a
year in Alexandria, Barcelona (Spain), Paris (France) and Palerme. Within this committee, La Soprintendenza del Mare of the
region of Sicily is responsible for overall coordination of the project and UNESCO for scientific coordination specifically.
The Archaeomap secretariat in Paris is hosted by UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy and Sustainable Development.
Archaeomap was born of a resolution to UNESCO’s General Conference in 2005 inviting the Organization to support a regional
action plan for the sustainable development of the Mediterranean’s marine heritage, as follow-up to the World Summit on
Sustainable Development in 2002. UNESCO was asked to set up an international committee to study the contribution of science and
culture to sustainable development in the Mediterranean. UNESCO’s Division of Science Policy and Sustainable Development
subsequently drafted a project proposal which the Soprintendenza del Mare then submitted to the European Commission for
funding on behalf of the co-sponsors.
UNESCO will be organizing an international forum in 2009 to disseminate the information amassed by the Archaeomap project
via a symposium and training workshop. International and national experts in natural, cultural and underwater heritage of the
Mediterranean will participate in the forum, during which UNESCO will present the World Heritage Convention (1972) and the
Convention on Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001). Three of the ten pilot sites being studied by Archaeomap are World Heritage sites.
Links
Archaeological Management Policies (in English)
Archaeogate (in Italian)
Background (in French)
Contact :
Focal Point El-Tayeb M.
Scientific Coordinator Giannino S.
Science Policy
