| Abstract: |
With a sea area covering two thirds of the country, 95,181 km of coastline, and its location at a crossroads of international seafaring and trading routes, Indonesia has developed over time a wealthy maritime and underwater cultural heritage (UCH) in the form of shipwrecks, aircraft wreckages, and other maritime sites. This paper will present the potential of maritime archaeology in Indonesia
current issues and legislations in researching, preserving and managing UCH sites
and present the various threats assessed through a number of studies conducted by the Ministry of MarineAffairs and Fisheries. It will also looks at approaches in implementing integrated and comprehensive maritime archeologyresearch involving a wide range of relevant expertise to meet the challenges of research in identifying and responding to the threats, both natural and human, faced today byUCH sites. Nowadays, maritime archaeological research in Indonesia is oriented toward marine heritage tourism. The denomination of sites as marine conservation areas protected by national legislation is an integral part of maritime archaeological research and a crucial strategy of the Ministry in the hope that these sites be used as a tool for poverty alleviation and the improvement of the local community's livelihood.
|
