20th anniversary of the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the foundation of the Oxford Centre for Maritime Archaeology (OCMA). The OCMA was established as a collaborative venture by the School of Archaeology at the University of Oxford, the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM) under the direction of Franck Goddio, and the Hilti Foundation which has supported his archaeological expeditions since 1996. The aim was to create a center of expertise for Maritime Archaeology at the University.
Before bringing it to the surface, archaeologists Franck Goddio and his team inspect the colossal red granite statue of a Ptolemaic king of over 5 metres height, weighing 5.5 tons, and shattered into 5 fragments. It was found close to the temple of Amun on the site of the sunken City of Thonis-Heracleion. ©Franck Goddio/Hilti Foundation, photo: Christoph Gerigk
Establishing Maritime Archaeology as a major subject area at the University of Oxford
Since its foundation, the OCMA has developed into a specialist research center with staff and doctoral students working on archaeological topics with people’s relationships with water at their heart. The OCMA has also expanded into teaching, initially to undergraduates within the School of Archaeology and Faculty of Classics and then to Masters students who can take individual courses or choose to follow the ‘Maritime Stream’ and devote their entire degree to research training in the subject. Through this time OCMA has become a well-established component within the diverse research and teaching culture of the School of Archaeology.
“Between them, the Hilti Foundation and the IEASM have been fantastic supporters of maritime archaeology in Oxford”, says Damian Robinson, the Director of OCMA. “Their longstanding commitment has enabled generations of students to be introduced to the discipline, several of whom have gone on to academic positions and are now teaching students of their own: it’s exciting and enriching working with Franck and the Foundation.”
From the beginning, the OCMA has collaborated with the IEASM on their research in Egypt in the sunken cities of Thonis-Heracleion and Canopus as well as in the eastern harbour of Alexandria. Alongside participating in the fieldwork, its post-excavation research, and publication, Oxford academics have also supervised doctoral students studying objects from the sites. It has provided them with access to amazing collections and some unforgettable experiences.
"Thanks to the Hilti Foundation, cooperating with OCMA is the perfect match for us", mentions Franck Goddio, the President of the IEASM and excavation director. "Welcoming scholars and PhD students from different backgrounds to our missions and study seasons has given us further insights into our very diverse material. We are also happy to be able to show them innovative developments in geophysical surveys and the latest results from our archaeological excavations.
The OCMA and the IEASM jointly promote research through a vigorous program of international conferences that bring together specialists in maritime cultures, as well as outreach events aimed at a more general audience. The Centre’s peer-reviewed monograph series is published in-house and distributed by Oxbow Books. The series includes excavation reports, specialist object analyses, and edited thematic volumes based on OCMA conferences. The next set to be published will deal with IEASM’s excavations in Alexandria and includes a report of a temple to the goddess Isis that collapsed into the harbor during an earthquake, a monograph dedicated to a ship’s boat, and a conference volume examining Alexandria’s relationship with the sea.
“The momentum brought through the cooperation with the IEASM and the University of Oxford is exactly what we want to achieve with our commitment”, says Michael Hilti, Member of the Board of the Hilti Foundation. “It establishes long long-term specialist networks in order to break new, successful ground in the study of past civilizations and to make the discoveries, knowledge, and lessons we can learn from them accessible to all.”
For more information about OCMA, visit their website.
European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM)
The IEASM was founded in 1987 as a French non-profit organization by its President Franck Goddio. Its aim is the location, exploration, excavation, and restoration of sunken sites. IEASM calls upon scientists and specialists of different scientific fields to support its research missions, study and publish the findings. Furthermore, it sets up exhibitions allowing the general public to get access to its discoveries.