Paris, Aug 9 (Portal) – UNESCO confirmed that in the next few days an international diving expedition will take place in the Skerki Banks in the Mediterranean Sea, where many shipwrecks rest, some with treasure.
In a statement, the UN agency specializing in education, scientific and cultural issues said it would offer an online press conference on Tuesday of the following week to discuss details of the planned action from August 21 to September 3.
According to the multilateral organization, the initiative is part of UNESCO’s 2001 Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, which aims to document the remains of four shipwrecks in the Skerki Banks from ancient times to the 20th century.
The relatively shallow area, which is dangerous for navigation, is located in the central Mediterranean Sea in the Strait of Sicily between Sicily and Tunisia and is considered a centuries-old graveyard of ships.
In addition to UNESCO, archaeologists from Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco and Tunisia are taking part in the ambitious project, which will be assisted in the expedition by remote-controlled underwater vehicles.
The mission will map the area where each wreck is found and document and catalog the artifacts remaining on the seabed.
From ancient times to World War II, countless ships sank along these perilous shores, leaving behind a treasure trove of cargo and artifacts, the organization noted.
For centuries, the Skerki Banks have been the scene of looting and the destruction of their heritage by trawling. (LP)
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