Securing a Future for Maritime Archaeological Archives

At present there is a critical lack of long-term, accessible and secure homes for maritime archaeological archives (the artefacts, samples and documentary and digital records from the many investigations undertaken in the marine zone around the UK). There is a severe lack of capacity in our museums and archives to curate maritime archaeological archives and there is a parallel lack of knowledge about the scale and extent of the problem. Many maritime archaeological investigations have been on-going for a number of years, during which there has been no available support in archiving standards and facilities. This has lead to a situation where some of the most important maritime archaeological archives have no available facilities for their long-term care and sustained public access. They remain at risk of dispersal, physical deterioration, and even private sale.