As an archaeology student pursuing my master’s degree in Arts and Archaeology at the Lebanese University, I had the opportunity to apply for the Honor Frost Foundation’s MSCU program in collaboration with the American University of Beirut.

Maritime archaeology has always fascinated me, a fascination which stems from the vast number of artifacts, features, and architecture relating to Maritime Cultural Landscapes in our region, a topic I always wanted to learn more about.

With the start of the Fall semester, I enrolled in MSCU201 (Coastal and Marine Environments: An Introductory Course) which is broadening my horizons in archaeology in general, and in maritime archaeology specifically. This led me to build a different perspective of Archaeology when combining it with other sciences such as Oceanography, Meteorology, and Geomorphology. In addition, we are exploring the history of maritime archaeology and its methodology, through learning about surveys, excavations, and geophysical investigations.

So far, given the unfortunate circumstances Lebanon is going through, AUB and the MSCU coordinator Dr. Naseem Raad have managed to make accommodations for students unable to attend lectures in person, by providing the course material through online meetings and the constant upload of needed material to Moodle, which ensured a continuation of teaching activities despite all posed challenges. These measures brought a sense of normality to our semester in these highly challenging times.