Good practice:

Worldwide sponsorships and collaborations to support underwater archaeological heritage in Greece

This shipwreck was discovered in 1900 by sponge divers from Symi Island. The salvage of important marble and bronze statues continued in 1901. Today, these statues are housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Along with the statues, the famous mechanism of Antikythera also came to light, a unique artefact, still not fully understood. This research was a landmark for the history of Underwater Archaeology and continues today. The Ephorate often accepts financial support from Greek and foreign sponsors, who are interested in the promotion of Underwater Archaeological Heritage. This support can be financial or in kind contribution and the benefit for the doners can be promotional (Hublot) , tax exemption (SwordsPoint Foundation) , the priviledge to exhibit the artifacts (Laskaridis Foundation) , social and tourism impact (Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, Municipality of Kythera-Antikythera, Cosmote, DEI etc), business expansion (X-TEC Systems Ltd) and /or scientific acknowledgement (Hewlett Packard, Universities and Research Institutes)

There were 3 different periods of activities
1.Research programme of the Antikythera Mechanism (2005-2009): 365.000,00 and in kind contribution
2.Periodic Exhibition of the artifacts (2012-2014): 300.000,00
3.Underwater excavations (2014-today): 2.300.000,00 and in kind contribution

The most significant point, besides the historical and archaeological value of the project, is the fact that various organisations (foundations, NGOs, private companies and public sector) with different background and scope, realised the potential outcomes of the project itself and agreed to offer assistance of any kind in order to complete efficiently, if possible, what started 120 years ago and became world famous

The Antikythera Shipwreck is the purest underwater archaeological find from which miraculous artworks have been found, the Antikythera Mechanism and, at the same time, a staging point for modern high-tech diving excavations. Underwater excavations have created new evidence for a new sponsorship field, the inland excavations, in sponsorship policy with the attraction of renowned companies and private sponsors. in addition, State funding acts as a balancing factor in full harmony with private sponsorship and is a guarantee of new sponsors. The shipwreck has given enormous publicity and reciprocal benefits to sponsors, both financial and communication benefits. Sponsors who have contributed both to the study's research of the Mechanism by decoding its interior with state-of-the-art technological methods and predicting the outcome of the first analogue computer of antiquity, as well as for the inland excavations, they had incalculable publicity and promotion of their products