PCASBL 2012-2014
This volunteer-driven project intends to continue the work begun with the Underwater Cultural Heritage Survey of Lagos municipality, but in a similar framework to the Underwater Cultural Heritage Survey of Cascais. This project fully funded by private funds serves the following general objectives: • Identify, characterize and enhance the scientific, educational and tourist potential of underwater archaeological heritage in the Bay of Lagos. • Contribute to the disclosure and affirmation of the Algarve in the context of cultural circuits and of scientific research worldwide. • Develop an integrated research programme of historical and archaeological sources related to the interface of the maritime town of Lagos. • Promote research on ships and navigation in the Algarve archaeological sources. • Contribute to the enriching of a tourist-cultural and pedagogical use, dissemination and community participation in cultural heritage survey of the Bay of Lagos. • Collaborate in the implementation of monitoring measures and safeguarding the underwater cultural heritage of Lagos Bay. In 2013, the team did 180 dives and accomplished 725 hours of research. What resulted in the discovery of 116 anchors, a new underwater archaeological site, a wreck of the twentieth century and still decontextualized heritage in the area of intervention. By the end of the project in 2015 we discovered more than 200 anchors, ten shipwrecks, and did more than 400 dives. Our project was mentioned as a example by Unesco and was presented in National Geographic Society. 10 years later we can proudly say that Lagos has become one of the richests underwater archaeological sites of Europe. We thank to all volunteers and sponsors that helped this become a reallity. |