Nada Nofal- Egypt

From 1st to 3rd of March, I’ve attended the Maritime Archaeology Graduate Symposium (MAGS) in Archaeological Research Unit, in Cyprus University. There I was presenting on Bridging the Gap between Public Engagement with Maritime Archaeology in the Arab Region, Egypt Case Study. The conference was a great opportunity to meet up with young and passionate researchers.

The conference started with causal and friendly reception, which helped all the presenters to interact with each other and get familiar with the venue. the conference’s presentations covered various aspects of maritime archaeology ranged from material cultural studies, maritime cultural landscapes, maritime heritage management and public engagement. One of the conference’s talks highlights was The Maritime Archaeological Publication Process by Dr Athena Trakadas, the presentation was very informative and set a solid foundation for how to write a proper publication.

Christelle Kabboul- Lebanon

Attending the MAGS in Cyprus, at the core of the Eastern Mediterranean and at one of the countries of the HFF region, was a very enriching experience as it provided me with an insight on the state of maritime archaeology and its development locally as well as on the recent research projects carried out around the Mediterranean basin.

Listening to a wide range of talks on ships, seafaring and trade in Antiquity, material culture studies, harbour archaeology, maritime cultural landscapes, maritime heritage management and preservation, public outreach and engagement was very mind-opening to different ideas and perspectives. Also, understanding how maritime archaeological ethnographies give a multi-temporal and multi-vocal dimension of sites, learning about the maritime archaeological publication process and knowing the behind the scenes of the Mazotos Shipwreck Project, gave me an overview of the very concrete aspects and challenges one faces in maritime archaeology as well as the tips and tricks to overcome them.

As I have been granted the opportunity to give a talk myself at the symposium, I cannot skip the part of the preparation process before D-Day for it was a long synthesis exercise. Set in a friendly environment, the MAGS 2023 provided me with a solid platform to become a public speaker for the first time. I learnt underway to transmit key ideas clearly, respect the time limit and think effectively before answering a the audience questions.

The MAGS was a safe space for mutual support that has also given me the chance to meet, exchange ideas and network with like-minded peers, creating opportunities for future collaboration.

Elissa Nader- Lebanon

The event I attend was the 5th Maritime Archaeology Graduate Symposium. This event was a two days conference for Masters and PHD graduates who are willing to present and discuss their research among colleagues. My role was to attend the conference and to present my master’s dissertation entitled ‘Public Engagement with Maritime Cultural Heritage in Museums: Lebanon as a Case Study.
The event was followed by a trip to Limassol learning about the replica of the Kyrenia ship and the maritime landscape of Armatheus.

This event was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the scope of research colleagues are doing in different parts of the world. It was very insightful to learn new methodologies and approaches for research. It was really important to talk to other scholars who are leading public engagement activities like the Bahar initiative for example and the interactive narratives of the Black SeaMAP project.