The CoMAS project: New materials and tools for improving the in situ documentation, restoration, and conservation of underwater archaeological remains

On November 2, 2001, the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage provided a detailed state cooperation system and set out the basic principles for the protection of underwater cultural heritage. To date, the Convention has been ratified by 51 countries. One of the four main principles states that the in situ preservation of underwater cultural heritage should be considered as the first option before allowing or engaging in any further activities. In accordance with these principles and recommendations, in the last years many projects intended for developing and testing new techniques and tools to support in situ conservation of underwater archaeological remains have been funded and are now underway. This paper describes the contribution of the CoMAS project (In situ conservation planning of Underwater Archaeological Artifacts—http://www.comasproject.eu), funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR) and run by a partnership of private companies and public research centers. The CoMAS project aims at the development of new materials, techniques, and tools for the documentation, conservation, and restoration of underwater archaeological sites in their natural environment. The paper describes in detail the results achieved during the project in the development of innovative materials, mechatronic tools, and armed remotely operated vehicle systems that can efficiently support the restorers’ work in all their activities for preserving underwater cultural heritage in its original location on the seafloor.