A Critical Analysis and Philosophical Review of ‘Rapid Reburial’: the Clarence project

Abstract

In 2012, Australian cultural heritage practitioners and conservation scientists collaborated on a national underwater cultural heritage (UCH) reburial project, known as the Australian Historic Shipwreck Preservation Project (AHSPP) funded by the Australian Research Council. This resulted in the excavation, documentation and reburial of the ‘at risk’ shipwreck Clarence. Following the excavation, the site and associated artefacts were reburied and subsequently covered by shade cloth and finally, with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tarpaulins. After completion of the in situ reburial, a number of critical issues were put into sharp relief including: what constitutes the accurate identification of a site as being ‘at risk’; and the implications of ‘rapid reburial’.

Key words:

• In situ preservation
• reburial
• management
• underwater cultural heritage
• at risk
• shipwreck

Acknowledgements

The AHSPP wishes to thank Heritage Victoria (Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development) and the Western Australian Museum for their considerable logistical support and ongoing fieldwork operations. We would also like to thank our partner organizations, their staff and our phenomenal volunteers who contributed time and expertise during the Clarence fieldwork. Partner Organizations associated with this project are: the Australian Government Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development (Heritage Victoria), the Western Australian Museum (Partner Investigators Dr Ian MacLeod and Ms Vicki Richards), Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, New South Wales Office of Environment & Heritage, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, Northern Territory Government, Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, the Norfolk Island Museum and the Australian National Maritime Museum. We thank three reviewers for their comments and take full responsibility for this final copy.