Twice a year the Foundation opens the Small Grant Award to support the development of maritime archaeology. In the recent round four projects were successful;

1 – Professor Sidebotham was awarded funding under the Regional Research category, the project is called ‘Berenike: Excavations at a Red Sea maritime hub linking the Mediterranean world to the Indian Ocean’. In winter 2022 the Berenike Project will expand our knowledge of many aspects of ancient life at this major Red Sea port, which, for about 800 years (3rd c. BC-6th c. AD), focused on lucrative long-distance maritime and land commerce with other areas of the Mediterranean world and the Red Sea/NW Indian Ocean. Berenike was a nexus in and microcosm of this vast intercontinental network.

2 – Dr Sara Rich and Dr Peter Campbell were awarded funding under the Developing the Discipline category, the funding is for a publication on ‘Contemporary Philosophy for Maritime Archaeology’. Contemporary philosophy is making significant impacts on archaeological research, especially through prominent philosophers Graham Harman and Levi Bryant engaging directly with archaeologists. The aim of this application is to publish an edited volume that makes contemporary philosophy relevant to maritime archaeology for use by students and faculty. 

3 – Dr Patrick Quinn and Dr Margie Burton were also awarded funding under the Developing the Discipline category for their project ‘Sourcing the Zea Limani Stone Anchors, Piraeus, Greece: New data for identifying shipbuilding locations and ancient Mediterranean sailing routes‘. This project will investigate the raw material sources of a distinctive type of ancient stone anchor that was originally highlighted by Honor Frost in the 1980s. This rare form may have been used on 5th century Greek oared ships called ‘triremes’. The tall pyramidal shape would have taken up relatively little space on deck, yet it could have stood upright as the vessel pitched and rolled in heavy seas.

4 – Dr Sabine Fourrier was awarded funding under the Regional Reserarch category, the project is called ‘Excavations in the Kition-Bamboula harbor (Cyprus)’. The Bamboula site is located in modern Larnaka. The French archaeological mission led extensive excavations on the site, which led to the discovery of a remarkably well-preserved building of the 4th and early 3rd century BC used to store warships.  An excavation campaign is planned to take place next October to give answers to two pending questions (1) the complete plan of the building, whose Eastern extension could not be excavated; 2) the limits of the harbor basin towards the North). Excavations are a prerequisite for the implementation of the site masterplan and the opening of the site to the public.

Projects awarded under the Regional Research category can be found here, or can also be explored through our interactive map. Projects awarded under the Developing the Discipline category can be found here.