United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The Ephorate (Department) of Underwater Antiquities of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for all antiquities or human remains being at the seabed, rivers and lakes and belong to the Greek State.
Before the creation of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities in 1976 the issue of the protection of the underwater cultural heritage in a State such as Greece was more than necessary. The important cultural heritage of Greece is recognized since the creation of the Modern Greek State in 1830, when the protection of the cultural heritage was added at the Constitution and was specially mentioned that all antiquities even those that they are on the seabed belong to the Greek State. So the creation of a Department which would have been responsible for the protection, the development and the promotion of the underwater cultural heritage, was always a need. Meantime the development (industrial and tourist), during the decades of 1980 & 1990, as well as the human interventions, more and more aggressive to the coast lines and the sea, were creating a big problem with the protection of the human activity remains in certain areas. The creative low had given to the Ephorate the jurisdiction to control all works and activities at sea and coast, i.e harbour installations, fisheries, etc, that they are planed to take place at the territorial waters and the coast of the Greek State and also to protect, promote and research for all underwater archaeological sites.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
After the creation of the Ephorate, a more intensive control of the activities affecting the underwater cultural heritage had been installed. A quite big number of underwater archaeological sites have been officially declared and their protection was reinforced. Therefore, the human impact was more effectively controlled. Also a number of unknown underwater archaeological sites, especially shipwrecks, have been discovered since then. Simultaneously, a large number of underwater archaeological investigations and excavations had been undertaken. The promotion was succeeded by presentations of the Ephorates’ projects (lectures, press releases, publications, exhibitions, et.c.) to the public, conducted by the archaeologists working at the Department collaborations with foreign establishments such as Foreign Archaeological Schools, Greek Universities, Institutes of High Technology. These actions had given the locals the ability and knowledge to be more familiar to the need of protection of the underwater cultural heritage.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
It is very well known that the key for the development of the ancient Greek Civilization was the nautical activities and the sea power obtained. Since about 1900, several major masterpieces of ancient Greek art were recovered from the sea mainly by fishermen and sponge divers. The creation of the Ephorate was in fact the result of the need for the protection of underwater cultural heritage, undertaken officially by the state. The solution was materialized after the convincing of the political authorities that the works at the sea and the shores were putting in grate hazard the underwater cultural products. The difficult point, to create a special Service, was that diving in those times was a matter of specialists. At the moment that diving became more common and popular, the political authorities, under the intervention of several well known archaeologists of the period, decided first to proceed to the training of personnel and then establishing the Service. Therefore, some archaeologists were taught how to dive and J.E. Cousteau had been invited in Greece in order to start the archaeological investigation in Greek seas. Afterwards the Ephorate was established in 1976. This action had given to the Greek State the possibility to have a proper Service for this domain and to act more formally for the protection of the underwater antiquities. Since the creation of the Ephorate, collaborations with NGO, Archaeological Institutions and Schools, such the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, L’ Ecole Française d’ Athènes, the British School at Athens, the Danish Institute at Athens, University of Athens, Thessaly, Peloponnesus, Greek Archaeological Services, the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research etc, hade had been undertaken, with the purpose to provide underwater archaeological research and protection.

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
First of all an establishing law (L. 405/1976) was voted to declare the new Service (EUA) and its jurisdiction and responsibilities. The framework of the low describes the targets of the new Service, namely: a] locating and research of known wrecks, submerged sites and buildings in the sea, lakes and rivers, as well as the care for their safety and the retrieving of wrecks, b] conservation of underwater antiquities c] organization of museums for underwater antiquities (National Maritime Museum in Athens) d] supervision of the operations of Institutions of Underwater Activities, Oceanographic Institutes and Expeditions In this framework EUA has dedicated all its efforts and human resources to achieve the goals set.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
In 1824, even before Greek independence had been fully established, the country’s first archaeological law was passed defining antiquities as ‘the national possession of all Greeks’ and instituting the Archaeological Service for the investigation and protection of the country’s national heritage. The archaeological legal framework of Greece also foresaw from early on the need for ordinances to protect antiquities located under water. Law 5351 ‘on Antiquities’, passed in 1932, designated in its first article that ‘All antiquities, movable or immovable, from ancient-most times thereon, found in Greece or Greek territory, in rivers, lakes and on the seabed are property of the State.’ New factors such as tourism and new technologies have altered the dangers posed to antiquities, and particularly the antiquities of the sea. The need for change was acknowledged in the past decade or so and steps were taken to amend the situation. The effort culminated on June 28th 2002 with the signing into effect of Law 3028 ‘On the Protection of Antiquities and by and large of Cultural Heritage.’ This new law is a solid foundation for the field of (underwater) archaeology in Greece, both as it stands today, and as it appears in the foreseeable future.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The main obstacle encountered was always the lack of the political “understanding” and willing to invest on underwater archaeology, therefore the Ephorate suffers from the limited personnel, financing and technical support as well as legislational gaps, needing to be covered. Pressure was always severe from diving centers and the needs for development works, i.e. harbourworks, et.c. Fortunately, thinks seem to change and a new spirit is established during recent years concerning collaboration with several institutions of Greece and other countries, which means support and education in new technologies as well as financing from local authorities for the investigation, location, promotion and dissemination of underwater cultural heritage.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The recourses of the Service are absolutely depended on the state budget although since 2007 a new law (L. 2527/ 07) came into action, which allows private financing for purposes of protection and promotion of cultural heritage.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities was established in 1976, belonging at that time to the Greek Ministry of Education. Then it was transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Sciences which was afterwards renamed Ministry of Culture and recently Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2009). It is well known that underwater research of any kind is an expensive task and especially where underwater excavations are concerned compared to land excavations. So the range of activity of the Ephorate depends directly from the Greek state’s finance. When possible the Ephorate involve private sponsors financing or supporting relevant research. Of course, as it is obvious, the function of a public service cannot be easily substituted. But as it has already been repeatedly mentioned, during international meetings, Greece is one of the privileged Mediterranean countries, that has a public service, directly involved to the protection promotion and management of Underwater Cultural Heritage.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
In fact, the Ephorate, as a public service and due to decisions that she is obliged to make, in some cases, in order to preserve underwater antiquities, has to confront private interests. This legal obligation of the Ephorate, several times is misunderstood, but in the majority of cases the actions undertaken by the Ephorate to preserve and protect antiquities is well appreciated. It must be also considered that Greece is surrounded by sea and also people are very attached to the sea. So everything that has to do with it is appreciated. Of course a lot of actions have to be undertaken, in the domain of research as also at the function of the service. There are a lot of sea areas unexplored archaeologically and also a lot of gaps at the registration of unknown submerged sites. But in fact the creation of the Ephorate, and the fact that is involved in all activities at sea, proves the interest of the Greek state for the preservation and protection of the underwater cultural heritage.


Institution Name:		MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
Institution Type:		Government Agency
Contact Person:		ANGELIKI SIMOSSI
Title:		DIRECTOR
Telephone/ Fax:		00302109235105
Institution's / Project's Website:		00302109235707
E-mail:		eena@culture.gr
Address:		59 ERECHIOU STR.
Postal Code:		117 42
City:		ATHENS
State/Province:
Country:		Greece

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information