Albania promotes its underwater archaeology, for tourism

Albania promotes its underwater archaeology, for tourism | iNFOnews.ca
This undated picture provided on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017, by the Albanian National Coastline Agency shows a shipwreck discovered by the RPM's Hercules research vessel in Ionian Sea, Albania. The country is promoting the archaeological finds in the waters off its southwest coast to raise public interest and to attract attention of decision-makers who can help preserve the discoveries. The Albanian National Coastline Agency opened an exhibition on Monday, Feb. 13 of 30 pictures showing underwater finds of potential archaeological significance from the last decade. (The Albanian National Coastline Agency via AP)

TIRANA, Albania – Albania is promoting the archaeological finds in the waters off its southwest coast to raise public interest and to attract attention of decision-makers who can help preserve the discoveries.

The Albanian National Coastline Agency opened an exhibition on Monday of 30 pictures showing underwater finds of potential archaeological significance from the last decade.

The non-profit RPM Nautical Foundation has mapped Albania’s coast from Saranda to Vlora. National coastline agency head Auron Tare says the scan found 38 shipwrecks, six of them more than 2,000 year old.

Tare says the ships and other objects “show ancient Illyria (Albania’s predecessor) was a commercial pass rather than a pirates’ place.”

He says the archaeological wealth of Albania’s 220-mile coastline needs more legal protection and better care to make it a popular tourism destination.

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