Introduction

Maritime Archaeology Museum (referred as "MAM") is a non-profit cultural organization of museum and professional museum personnel established to advance the interests of museology and other disciplines concerned with the museum management and operations.

MAM is dedicated to maritime preservation and education in order to enhance understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of our national and cultural heritage through a wide-ranging programs of exhibits, seminars, wrecks and artifacts preservation, interpretative and educational progams and publications

MAM is an institutional membership of International Council of Museums, ICOM, UNESCO, United Nations, Institutional Merbership No: 29766. For all members and visitors of MAM can understand fully the role and organizational structures of International Council of Museum, ICOM, UNESCO, and what MAM stands for, and what role of MAM will pay in UNESCO-ICOM international community, please welcome to visit the ICOM.

This virtual museum web site is specifically designed to provide an educational platform for those who keen to conduct:-

(i) maritime museum management and maritime academic study;

(ii) underwater cultural heritage archaeological researches, also served as;

(iii) the UNESCO promotional vehicle for educating our people regarding the conservation and management of our regional cultural property, especially those cultural heritage laid under the seabed of Straits of Malacca and South China Sea;

(iv) to play an effective role of complementary and supplementary in helping our Malaysia and Malacca governments for preserving and managing our underwater cultural heritage;

For all members and visitors of MAM, WELCOME to visit our MAM Virtual Library for your Maritime and Naval World, Maritime Museums Worldwide

MAM strongly feel that shipwrecks are invaluable in reconstructing life-styles no longer existing and represent a buried treasure in terms of knowledge about life on board, boar construction and trade routes.

A shipwreck, in fact, is a time capsule waiting to be unlocked since time stops when a vessel founders.

Diving into the past, the underwater cultural heritage is a significant component of human history. Like land-based cultural heritage, it's an integral part of the common heritage of humanity, and it deserves similar attention and management.

Historic shipwrecks, sunken cities and structures such as the Alexandria Lighthouse, underwater cave paintings, Neolithic lake settlements....are become one of the regional most attractive sites of today's cultural tourism industry....in Malacca, in ' 80, few sunken shipwrecks were found, excavated, artifacts were recovered...like Diana in Straits of Malacca...in ' 90, in South China Sea, wrecks of Royal Nanhai, Xuante, Turiang, Nanyang, Longquan, dated in Ming & Qin Dynasties, were found, full of wonderful artifacts recovered! For further information about the wrecks, you can visit the www.mingwrecks.com

At present, all know well, there is no international legal instrument which adequately protects the underwater cultural heritage, which is increasingly threatened by pillage and natural damage. This has led to the irretrievable loss of a vast part of our collective cultural heritage....This sad events always found happened in our international water, Straits of Malacca, South China Sea, Paracel Islands, especially those areas located at the South East Asia, like in Indonesia, Philipines, Vietnam and Thailand waters...!

In some parts of the world, virtually no underwater site has been left unpillaged. For example, the Turkish authorities have found that no Classical Age wrecks off the country's coast has been left touched.

Modern diving and excavation techniques have made the seabed accessible to all. This has led to the extensive looting by treasure hunters who often disregard ownership rights and scientifics & archaeological methods of excavation, as laid and set clearly by UNESCO.

These people damage the remainder of the site and deprive the general public of these treasures. Tourists diving, the fishing industry, pipe-laying and other activities on the sea-bed can also harm or destroy the underwater cultural heritage.

Who will control and manage this ocean and sea...?
Which authority will be held fully responsible for preserving and protecting this cultural property?
If these is no any appropriate agency and competent professional team to keep the proper surveillance, with sufficient law enforcement personnel...under the regional cooperation charter!
MAM doubted about it. If you want to understand closer, and study it, WELCOME to visit our MAM Virtual Library to explore the Legal Protection For Cultural Heritage, also Underwater Cultural Property.....

* Legal Protection For Cultural Heritage
* Underwater Cultural Heritage

This is the main reasons why obvious increase in theft and destruction results in the irretrievable loss of our common heritage. It is therefore a matter not only of necessity but of urgency to adopt an international instrument in order preserve the underwater cultural heritage, especially in our international water of SEA countries!

MAM realized that much of the world's underwater heritage escapes any national control as it is located on the outer reaches of the continental shelf or deep seabed. In fact, as early as 1956, UNESCO's Recommendation on International Principles Applicable to Archaeological Excavation applied to underwater sites within national jurisdiction. These is an urgent need for an international legal instrument to protect our underwater cultural heritage, wherever it may be!

MAM would like to introduce our visitors and members, to access to the following MAM's database and our MAM Virtual Library, to understand closely what UNESCO has done, and what are the urgent measures and laws has been adopted in the UNESCO international conventions....

(a) MAM Virtual Cultural Library

(b) Cultural Heritage Protection, MAM database

(c) Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management Policy