The Intangible Maritime Cultural Heritage Project is a small-scale project aiming to record vernacular shipbuilding in Cyprus.
The project aims to record vernacular maritime professions in Cyprus (e.g. shipbuilding, fishing, sponge diving, making sails for vessels) and to identify the role of traditional craftsmen in their communities. Also, to create educational material for children and adults, as the primary means of understanding, preserving and promoting our heritage.
The first profession under study is the vernacular shipbuilding, a craft that has flourished in Cyprus during previous centuries and gave great craftsmen and unique vessels.Despite its importance very few records exist about the vernacular shipbuilding and its role. The project started to record the vernacular shipbuilding in Cyprus from the 18th century onward. This has resulted in the reconstruction of the development of the craft, the chains of technology transfer and the creation of a database for documentation and research purposes.
The team interviewed the last vernacular shipbuilders on the island and went through all the biographical research. They involved students from the Cyprus Archaeology Seminars which they had the chance to meet and discuss with the shipbuilders and to record all the relevant material.
A database has been created and a book will be published. The team is working with schools and an educational game is now being under preparation. Also, a photographic exhibition has been created that is available on demand. The first exhibition and workshop has been organized with the participation of students.

Resources needed

The team consists of 3 people, 2 marine archaeologists and an expert in Educational Leadership. They do the work on a voluntary basis with the goal to preserve and promote the maritime cultural heritage of Cyprus.

Evidence of success

The practice has managed by using the Traditional Ecological Knowledge to record a considerable amount of material on the shipbuilding in Cyprus, something that has not been recorded and it is under threat to be lost as a maritime art and profession. A methodology and a database has been created with lots of material. Also, it went beyond and is creating educational material for the students in order to keep the culture alive and pass it to the next generations.

Difficulties encountered

The difficulty is at the beginning, until you find and engaged the relevant people. You need to gain the trust of the people in order to be able to get all their knowledge on the profession of shipbuilding. Also, you need a lot of access in databases and archives where you need permissions.

Potential for learning or transfer

The practice is potential for transfer since it used the TEK and with a small team and limited resources manage to record a significant amount of shipbuilding culture. It is an example of understanding, preserving and promoting the cultural heritage. Also, the methodology created by the project on how to record all this material and create a database is a very useful potential for transfer.

Please login to see the expert opinion of this good practice.

Project
Main institution
Intangible Maritime Cultural Heritage Project - Maria Ktori
Location
Κύπρος, Cyprus (Κυπρος)
Start Date
January 2016
End Date
Ongoing

Contact

Eudokia Balamou Please login to contact the author.