Following Fournoi
Safeguarding Archaeology in Trying Times
As the weeks of lockdown have melted by, I’ve thought more and more about how the microcosms of archaeology and cultural heritage management might be touched by the pervasive ripple effect that this virus has initiated. To my knowledge, most if not all of this season’s archaeological fieldwork has been postponed or cancelled. This is without a doubt the most responsible course of action, however it will render archaeological sites all over the world unattended for some months. It’s no secret that cultural heritage sites all over the world are at high risk for looting, even in normal circumstances. Artefacts are illegally excavated all over the world, more often than we realise; endeavours ranging from amateur treasure hunting to master plans targeting particular sites. Whether in Britain, the Caribbean, Greece or the Middle East, the looting of artefacts for sale on the black market and the art market alike has been a common enterprise for generations. It's even more common in an underwater context; looters have beat archaeologists to the punch at most shipwreck sites, some in waters as deep as 100 feet.
These days, I’ve been wondering how the temporary desertion of archaeological sites, in light of border closures and government urges for entire populations to #StayHome, might be opening a window of possibility to opportunistic looters. Can anything be done to safeguard archaeological sites in the event that, for whatever reason, research has to be abandoned?
During a recent conversation with Dr. Peter Campbell, RPM Nautical Foundation maritime archaeologist from whom I sought advice, I was reassured. Dr. Campbell has taken a community-integrated approach to archaeology throughout his career, including in the ongoing Fournoi Project, the underwater survey responsible for the discovery of 58 new shipwrecks offshore of Fournoi island in Greece. Though the team won’t be able to return this summer for their fifth season as intended, Dr. Campbell has little fear for the safety of the site – over the years the team has invested in building strong bonds with the local community, which have resulted in a strong sense of pride for and protection of the island’s cultural heritage.
Fournoi, it seems, is exemplary of the magic that can happen when local communities are invited to become involved in research of their past; they are arguably the best equipped to support the protection and safety of archaeological sites, in this case underwater. During the project’s first season in 2015, the team prioritised engaging with the local community while rapidly discovering over twenty wrecks. Dr. Campbell recalls the presentation he offered to locals upon his arrival to the island around 3 a.m.; a handful of people showed up to hear about the research that he was to initiate alongside George Koutsouflakis of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities division Greek Ministry of Culture.
But by the end of that same season, another presentation was given, this time crowding the venue; locals spilled through the door and sat in trees to watch the research update through a window. Excitement permeated the community as a newfound wealth of underwater cultural heritage rendered the island special, recognised and unique on a national and global scale; the pride for their home island that locals had always felt was finally recognised by the outside world. The later launch of a book on the island brought national news and the Greek Minister of Culture to Fournoi for the first time. In the words of Dr. Campbell, the project has ‘completely reshaped their sense of past and their sense of community’.
Such a keen interest and support for the research was achieved by building relationships with island’s small population of less than two thousand from the onset, partially inspired by Dr. Campbell’s background in anthropology. An open conservation lab invited people to grow curious and witness the project in action, showcasing the finds neither secretly nor exclusively. Getting to know the community allowed the team to become trusted, welcomed visitors. As they did so, a mutual feedback loop opened as researchers were entrusted with accounts from local sponge divers, fishermen and their families of the shipwrecks they had seen while at sea. Building relationships with the island which this research would eventually put on the map has not only aided material finds, but has fostered a sense of local stewardship – more precisely, has strengthened the hometown pride that had always existed.
Pride for one’s home, especially in close-knit communities like those in the Mediterranean, is not something an outsider instils; it’s already there, as much a part of the landscape as the sand and soil itself. Holistic, human approaches to archaeological research such as that taken at Fournoi have been so successful – and are being awarded progressively more funding – precisely because they hone this pride and honour it. Collaborating with locals to learn from and share new discovery with them only strengthens the dignity of a community, and bands researchers together with them in the common enterprise of learning, appreciation and protection. The Fournoi project is a key example of how this approach helps safeguard heritage as locals commit to protecting the assets of which they were always proud, assets which promise further recognition, tourism, and economic benefits.
In other words, it is the local community who arguably may offer the best year-round security possible, especially during times of temporary abandonment. It only makes sense that archaeologists follow the lead of the Fournoi project whenever possible, rather than separating themselves and their work from the local community. Isolated research not only backfires by resulting in local alarm, resistance and fear of their heritage being robbed from under their noses; it misses a key component of doing archaeology in the first place. Human connection must be both the starting and endpoint in understanding the past.
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