New Maritime Archaeology Vacancies

Maritime Archaeology Vacancies
Wessex Archaeology are advertising a number of positions within their Coastal and Marine Section, for more details take a look at their website.

MAG blog is in the field
I will be out of the office for the next two weeks or so. I can still receive items for MAG updates, but please note that they may take longer than usual to post!

New Autumn 2007 MAG Bulletin, Draft Navigaton and Port Safety Bill

MAG Bulletin Autumn 2007

The latest MAG Bulletin for Autumn 2007, which includes of review of work undertaken across the UK so far in 2007, and news and events from the world of maritime archaeology can be downloaded from our MAG Bulletins page.

Marine Navigation and Port Safety – Draft Bill
MAG members may be interested to hear of another draft bill not mentioned in the recent Queen’s speech, which may affect underwater heritage.

The purpose of the Marine Navigation and Port Safety Bill is to increase the existing high safety standards for those working in or travelling through our ports and waters.

The Draft Bill would include measures to allow safer navigation in UK waters by ratifying the international Wreck Removal Convention, permitting the UK to claim back costs associated with the marking, locating and removal of wrecks. More details can be found here.

Call to UK government to join UNESCO Convention, The English Seaside

Call to UK Government to join UNESCO convention
The recent events surrounding the arrest of Odyssey Explorer in Spain have been noted in a letter published in The Times on 25 October calling on the UK Government to sign up to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The Society of Antiquaries of London reports on this in its latest SALON newsletter

Jonathan Brown and Esther Walker of The Independent have also written a feature on the issue of deep water salvage.

The English Seaside
The recent English Heritage two day conference on England’s Seaside architecture has been reported at the 24 hour Museum.

Heritage Counts 2007, Protected Wrecks online! MEDAG GIS, Queen’s Speech and Underwater Heritage

Heritage Counts 2007

Heritage Counts 2007, the sixth annual survey of the state of the historic environment, was published recently revealing that many more skilled people are needed to tackle the challenges faced by England’s historic environment. Heritage Counts is prepared by English Heritage on behalf of the Historic Environment Review Executive Committee and the Regional Historic Environment Forums and is a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of the country’s heritage. More information on Heritage Counts is available here.

Protected Wrecks online!

An online map of sites designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 is now available through English Heritage’s website, or by clicking here. Please review the published information about your site of interest and please forward any amendments/changes you’d like made. English Heritage intend to make site reports available for download also, as well as Licensee reports.

MEDAG GIS

The Marine Environmental Data Action Group (MEDAG) has announced the publication of a GIS application that catalogues available tide and sea level data around the UK coast giving timescales, instrument, contact and other details. This compliments a catalogue of wave data which is may also be searched using a GIS interface available on the MEDAG website. Follow the links from the MEDAG homepage to gain access to these data resources, or contact enquiries@oceannet.org for further details.

Queen’s Speech and Underwater Heritage

In the list of bills and draft bills included in the Queen’s speech were the Heritage Protection Draft Bill, as well as the Planning Reform Bill and Marine Draft Bill. These will be part of the legislative programme for this session of Parliament. For more details click here.