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Increasing pressure – such as from conflict, climate change and urbanisation – on maritime cultural heritage in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) led to the establishment of the Maritime Endangered Archaeology (MarEA) Project in 2019. This five-year programme aims to assess rapidly and comprehensively the vulnerability of maritime and coastal heritage in the MENA region and assist in its management in the face of the aforementioned challenges. The two case studies discussed in this article highlight some of the main aspects of MarEA's current work in North Africa by focusing on two different aspects of the methodological approach used: first, the generalised but comprehensive damage and threat assessment, as applied to all sites, and demonstrated for the historic port of Suakin (Sudan); second, site-specific shoreline change assessment for the purpose of assessing the impact of coastal erosion, as demonstrated for the World Heritage Site of Sabratha (Libya). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a significant imbalance in existing marine resource management frameworks. Across Africa and the Middle East there is a developing network of marine protected areas focused on natural heritage but with very limited engagement with area-based management for cultural heritage. Yet both natural and cultural heritage resources are subject to the same considerable threat levels from both natural and anthropogenic processes of change. The MarEA project is engaged in an extensive programme of mapping and documentation of endangered cultural heritage sites and landscapes across the MENA region. During the course of this and aligned work, its engagement with coastal communities and international practice has identified a clear need for more informed and holistic approaches to marine resource management. This study presents a model for the integrated management of natural and cultural heritage and proposes a framework for the future identification and designation of Marine Cultural Heritage in Protected Areas. • Marine Cultural Heritage tends to be secondary to natural heritage in MPA designation and operation. • Natural and cultural marine heritage should be managed in an integrated manner. • Proposed an integrated, participatory model for existing and future sites. • Outlined a detailed, phased approach towards the realisation of the effective inclusion of MCH in MPAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation, comprising development, land reclamation and population growth along coastal margins, continues to place significant pressure on the maritime cultural heritage (MCH), particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Thus, there is a growing need for ascertaining the extent of the affected MCH resource and its condition. One such assessment is being undertaken by the Maritime Endangered Archaeology (MarEA) project, which is generating a unique informed database of the maritime resource in the MENA region. Through a regional overview combined with focused assessment on two case studies – Marsa Matruh (Egypt) and Bahrain – this paper demonstrates the threat urbanisation poses and the damage it has inflicted on MCH. The analyses and documentation that MarEA produces via remote sensing, desk-based and field-based assessments, constitutes a valuable resource that, at the very least, exists in digital perpetuity. It establishes a record that can be drawn upon to formulate targeted strategies and initiatives inclusive of the maritime cultural heritage resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Syria's coastal and nearshore zone contains a significant, but under-researched, record of maritime cultural heritage (MCH) ranging from prehistory to the present. This is exemplified by a lack of underwater investigations, but also limited investigation of key onshore maritime sites such as ports and harbours. There is also a lack of specialist in-country management regarding maritime cultural heritage research and protection. This situation has been worsened by the ongoing conflict (since 2011), which has reduced (already limited) field investigation. To assist in the advancement of Syrian maritime archaeology, this paper presents a baseline assessment which makes use of a geospatial database generated from satellite imagery as well as both published and grey literature. This assessment reviews past coastal environment changes affecting the Syrian littoral, and then highlights past disturbances and potential future threats impacting the MCH. This is done through analysis of all coastal/nearshore sites documented to date and showcased in more detail using two case studies: Tabbat al-Hammam and Ras Ibn Hani. This enables discussion of the current state of Syrian maritime archaeology and suggests ways forward for its future management and investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For millennia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been a culturally dynamic zone, bounded by maritime societies dependent on the sea for communication, trade and livelihoods. The archaeological evidence of these past societies represents an extraordinary physical legacy of human endeavour and presence across this region, contributing to senses of place, identity and belonging amongst contemporary coastal communities. However, the coastal landscapes and marine environment of the MENA region are undergoing a period of profound change, associated with large-scale human development and climate change. In order to assess this change and the level of impact on the resource, the Maritime Endangered Archaeology project (MarEA) was established in 2019 to document cultural heritage sites and landscapes across the coastal and near-shore zones of the survey region. This paper introduces the work of the project and outlines a series of case studies presented in this volume that are representative of the variety and depth of work being undertaken within the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclones are among the most detrimental hazards to the environment, societies, and economies, each year affecting millions of people and resulting in substantial casualties and material destructions in coastal communities. In this context, maritime cultural heritage, encompassing material evidence for the engagement of people with the sea, both on land and under water, is particularly vulnerable. Despite the significant number of archaeological sites exposed to tropical cyclones and other extreme sea-level events, maritime cultural heritage in the MENA region is rarely included in coastal vulnerability indices or incorporated in mitigation strategies, disaster management, sustainability, and resilience policies. In this study we examine the impact of tropical cyclones on the maritime archaeology of Oman with emphasis on the Dhofar region. This paper builds on existing coastal research in the Dhofar region—an area identified as the most cyclone-prone administrative region in Oman, but also an area that contains substantial archaeological remains. Central among Dhofar's maritime cultural heritage is Al-Baleed, a Medieval seaport with unparalleled evidence of engagement with international trade networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle East and North Africa have witnessed a surfeit of geospatial data collection projects, resulting in big databases with powerful deductive capacities. Despite the valuable insights and expansive evidentiary record offered by those databases, emphasis on anthropogenic threats to cultural heritage, combined with a limited integration of local perspectives, have raised important questions on the ethical and epistemological dimensions of big data. This paper contextualizes maritime cultural heritage (MCH) in those debates through the lens of the Maritime Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa project (MarEA). MarEA is developing a unique for the region database for MCH designed to amalgamate a baseline record emphasizing spatial location, state of preservation, and vulnerability. This record will form a stepping stone toward finer-grained research on MCH and its interdisciplinary intersections. It is also developed as an information resource to facilitate local collaborators in prioritizing site monitoring and developing documentation, management, and mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal archaeological heritage is potentially vulnerable to increased erosion resulting from predicted future sea-level rise and increased storminess. As all sites cannot be protected, it is essential that heritage managers know which sites and landscapes are most at risk so they can prioritize resources and decision-making most effectively. One method of doing so is through desk-based modeling of coastal vulnerability. This article outlines the advantages and limitations of such an approach and demonstrates the application of a desk-based model to case studies from Newfoundland's coast. The rate of future sea-level rise around Newfoundland is complicated by its glacio-isostatic recovery since the last ice age. The first step therefore in this assessment is to combine output from glacio-isostatic adjustment models with appropriate rates of global eustatic sea-level rise. Next, these data are integrated with existing information on coastal characteristics (topography, surficial geology, erosion rates) to assess coastal sensitivity to sea-level rise. Finally, overlay of known archaeological sites identifies those locations at greatest risk from destructive coastal changes. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of such models for regional-scale analyses but caution against the use of low resolution data to generate site-specific predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Over the past two decades, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have emerged as one of the primary legislative initiatives used to protect the marine environment. Additionally, they are recognised as an integral management mechanism used to address Climate Change, and some consider them to be a driver for sustainable community development. To date, these areas have been used primarily to protect the natural environment, but there is both a clear justification and need to integrate cultural heritage into this network of sites. Such an integrated model would allow for the better realisation of the socio-economic development aspirations around MPA designation, and allow for broader inclusivity, and participatory community action and engagement. The integration of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage into these frameworks will support enhanced social cohesion, and a strengthening of place-making. • Documented the Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) potential and site density across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). • Identified the disconnect that exists between natural and cultural heritage management in the marine environment. • Proposed a designation and management strategy around MCH and MPAs, highlighting two candidate sites in Lebanon and Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]