CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
The ENDURE project proposes a conceptual shift in the way UCH is assessed, monitored and managed. It goes beyond the state of the art by holistically understanding both natural and anthropogenic decay processes and how the products of these processes manifest themselves on shipwrecks and submerged prehistoric sites using digital visualisation, remote monitoring and computational modelling of the decay processes. In this manner it will be possible to segregate the different processes and products, and ultimately provide a ranking of the entropy, condition and hence preservation (or decay) potential of sites / areas. This will enable remote (desk based) assessment of this heritage, ultimately in a predictive manner and on a global scale.
ENDURE will develop new environmentally sound technologies for mitigating decay and re-dress the efficacy of in situ preservation. Where physical mitigation is impossible / impractical, the concept of managed decay of cultural heritage will be developed based on the inherent entropy of a site. These unique factors will enable ENDURE to progress beyond the state-of-the-art and integrate UCH management synergistically within marine spatial planning and other users of the marine environment.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
ENDURE’s ultimate aim is to propose a novel framework to cultural heritage management, based on the state of entropy of sites through methods and strategies for the sustainable preservation and management of underwater archaeology in the future.
This aim will be achieved through four objectives:
01. Remote sensing and GIS
Detect, visualise and interpret the products of natural and anthropogenic decay of UCH, including shipwrecks and submerged prehistoric fish weirs, using acoustic remote sensing to document and visualise remains on the seabed, legacy observational data and an unprecedented remote sensing dataset of 500+ wrecks in the North and Baltic Seas (provided by JD-Contractor A/S).
02. Decay studies
Determine the role of artefact design, form and function on the rates of decay of key archaeological materials through Finite Element Analysis of structures, in situ monitoring and laboratory investigations.
03. Modelling
Use of a range of established and emerging interdisciplinary modelling techniques to identify and explore synergies and antagonistic interactions between deteriorative processes and ultimately be able to achieve this through desk based research.
04. Mitigation
Propose novel concepts and methods for the preservation and management of UCH for future generations based on and within the context of cultural heritage and integrated marine spatial planning.