South Africa has been at the forefront of maritime archaeology on the African continent for over a decade. It holds a unique position at roughly the halfway point between Europe and the East, with some of the richest and most diverse maritime heritage in the world, including almost 3,000 shipwreck sites, land-based maritime sites, and a myriad of living heritage relating to maritime landscapes.
The HeritageLab group has an extended track record of projects done in collaboration with the South African community, mainly through one of our key institutional partners Centre for International Heritage Studies. Such projects revolve around two main topics of Maritime Heritage (MUCH) and Mutual Shared Cultural Heritage:
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Heritage Day South Africa, 2008. In collaboration with: Rijksdienst voor Archaeologie, Cultuurlanschap en Monumenten (RACM).
- International Symposium ‘Our Shared Heritage’, 2009. In collaboration with: South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), Iziko Museums of Cape Town, ICOM South Africa, ICOMOS South Africa, Department of Arts and Culture of the Republic of South Africa, Cape Town Heritage Trust.
- Maritime Archaeology Development Programme, 2008 – to date. In collaboration with: South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), Netherlands Consulate General, South African Department of Arts and Culture (DAC).
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Robben Island Workshops, 2010. In collaboration with: South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA), Robben Island Museum, Africa World Heritage Fund.
FieldLabs
- Robben Island Fieldschool, 2010 – 2016. In collaboration with: SAHRA, Robben Island Museum, Africa World Heritage Fund (AWHF), Netherlands Embassy to South Africa, Leiden University, University of Cape Town, Western Australian Museum.
Contributors: Robert Parthesius, Jonathan Sharfman