IKUWA8: the 8th International Congress for Underwater Archaeology

Telling the Exciting Tales of Our Past 

An inspiring and engaging ocean is one of the key outcomes of the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). In 2025 we are halfway the decade and this conference provides us amongst others with a good occasion to take stock of the achievements of the decade in the field of underwater cultural heritage.

It’s the ambition of the Underwater Cultural Heritage community to convince society of the significant role underwater as well as coastal cultural heritage can play in achieving the goals of the Decade of Ocean Science.

This conference offers a valuable opportunity to showcase the significant interactions between humans and oceans and to grasp their significance for the future of marine environments. Exploring underwater and coastal cultural heritage enables researchers to access the collective memory of humanity and to enrich it with compelling narratives, thereby creating a tool that can provide insights into sea level fluctuations and climate change. By incorporating underwater cultural heritage into discussions on the socio-cultural significance of the oceans, we can deepen our emotional connection with these vast bodies of water.