IKUWA - Internationaler Kongreß für Unterwasserarchäologie - is a global network of cooperating bodies that organises congresses focused on underwater archaeology to raise awareness of the importance of underwater cultural heritage and to create an international regulatory framework for its protection. More information can be found on the website of the Nautical Archaeology Society.
Short historical overview of IKUWA since 1999
IKUWA 1: Protection of Cultural Heritage Underwater, 1999
This first International Congress on Underwater Archaeology was organized in February 1999 in Sassnitz, Germany. It was organised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Unterwasserarchäoloqie (DEGUWA) and seven German and five non-German (Switzerland, UK, Greece, The Netherlands and Poland) partner organisations. The congress received support from the Raphael Programme of the European Union, in the context of reinforcing east-west cultural and educational ties. A postgraduate training workshop was held in the days preceding the congress, involving 21 participants from eleven European countries. It contributed to the strategic goal, which was the creation of a long-term network of all European bodies dealing in underwater archaeology.
IKUWA 2: A new interpretation of History, 2004
The second congress was held in Zurich in October 2004. The organising committee included German and British members. About 200 participants from 25 countries attended the congress. The goal of the congress was to demonstrate where and how the interpretation of the past based on written sources has been changed through research in underwater archaeology during the past decades, and which future investigations can be regarded as promising in this respect.
IKUWA 3: Beyond Boundaries, 2008
The third congress was held in London in July 2008. It took place under the auspices of UNESCO´s Director-General. The Nautical Archaeology Society, the Institute of Field Archaeologists, the Institute of Archaeology, and University College London hosted the largest conference on underwater archaeology ever held in Britain including 126 papers, over the three days, attracting 260 participants. UNESCO held a one-day intergovernmental conference at the British Academy on the 2001 Convention, where the British Academy, Historic Scotland, and English Heritage operated as partners.
IKUWA 4: Managing the underwater cultural heritage, 2011
The fourth congress was held in October 2011 in Zadar, Croatia, where the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology has been established under UNESCO's auspices. The congress attracted some 200 participants from Europe, USA, Australia and the Asia region.
IKUWA 5: Heritage for Humanity, 2014
The fifth congress was held in October 2014 in Cartagena, Spain, at the Universidad Politėcnica de Cartagena. The event was organised and hosted by the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology. The Spanish Ministry of Culture sponsored the congress. IKUWA 5 attracted nearly 300 participants from Europe and the Mediterranean, Australia, North America, South America and Asia. The publication of the proceedings of IKUWA 5 was released in December 2016.
IKUWA 6: Celebrating our Shared Heritage, 2016
The sixth congress was held in November 2016 in Fremantle, Australia. It was organised under the patronage of UNESCO and hosted by the Western Australian Museum. The theme of the congress was reflecting the State´s celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the first recorded European landing in Western Australia. It was the first time that IKUWA was held outside Europe, and is the biggest gathering of maritime archaeologists in Australia, attracting 250 participants from some 35 countries in Europe, and the Mediterranean, North America, South America, Asia, Australasia, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania.
IKUWA 7: Delivering the Deep, Visions for the Future, 2022
The seventh congress was held in June 2022 in Helsinki, Finland. It was organized at the University of Helsinki by a partnership composed by the Finnish Heritage Agency, the Finnish Maritime Archaeological Society, the Faculty of Arts and the Collegium for Advanced Studies of that university, together with the IKUWA steering Committee. The theme of the congress was focused on delivering information and interpretations of the maritime cultural heritage and to share this with the general public and the research community. The event was postponed with two years due to the pandemic. Finally, 248 persons got the chance to take part in the congress on the site. The congress was organized under the patronage of UNESCO, hosting participants from 33 different countries making IKUWA a global event.