UNESCO training programme on the Conservation and Restoration of Underwater Archaeological Finds for the Central Asian and the Caucasus countries

In the framework of the Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001), UNESCO organizes an introductory course on conservation and restoration of archaeological finds for heritage professionals from Central Asia and the Caucasus. The training programme takes place at the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology (ICUA) in Zadar, Croatia, from 4 to 15 September 2023.

The two-week introductory training programme consists of theoretical and practical courses on conservation and restoration of waterlogged archaeological remains, including metal, wood, organic, glass and ceramic objects. The workshop aims to provide participants from Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia with the basic knowledge and techniques of underwater archaeology research.

This workshop is a follow-up action to the UNESCO Regional Consultation on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in May 2019, which was attended by representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The consultation meeting identified the need for capacity-building in protection, evaluation and management of the underwater cultural heritage as a priority in Central Asia and the Caucasus. As of today, the Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention counts 73 States Parties, none of which is from the region. In this connection, the first underwater archaeology workshop was organized in May 2023 in Zadar to enhance the regional capacity in underwater cultural heritage.

Established in 2009, the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology (ICUA) is the UNESCO's only category 2 centre in the field of underwater cultural heritage. The Centre is active in promoting the Underwater Cultural Heritage Convention, training underwater archaeologists and safeguarding underwater cultural heritage in the region and in the world.