“The idea is not exactly to discover artefacts or new archaeological sites, but rather to work a little with what we already know, because our main objective is to try to understand the evolution of the landscape,” researcher Gonçalo Lopes told Lusa.

Coordinated by maritime archaeologists Gonçalo Lopes and Joana Baço, the research focuses on mapping and studying the underwater cultural heritage in the municipality of Lagos, in the Faro district, and how it can constitute an engine for social, cultural, and economic development.

"Started in 2024, the project allowed the location and identification of approximately 95 artefacts of various kinds, mostly iron and stone anchors, whose date has not been determined," said the researcher.

A native of Lagos and knowledgeable about the "valuable underwater heritage accumulated off the coast of Lagos over millennia," Gonçalo Lopes wants to make the population aware of "all the richness that lies at the bottom of the sea."

"That heritage belongs to everyone, so we want to create two underwater routes, one physical for divers and another filmed, so that those who are not divers can have the closest possible access and can see the reality that we see," he emphasized.

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The researcher said that "the idea is to provide the population with more information and knowledge about their shared past, combining the heritage aspect with that of marine life, biology, fauna and flora of the region."

At the same time, he said, the intention is to maintain "a collaboration with the entire community, making it the main agent for the protection and promotion of this finite and non-binding resource."

In another phase of the project, it is planned to "compare what exists on the seabed with the existing fortifications on land, in the coastal area, to get a better idea of ​​the evolution of the landscape in the municipality of Lagos."

The work focuses only "on prospecting, it does not include excavations, with the identified objects mostly remaining on the seabed," he noted.

For the exploration, inspection, and recording of artefacts on the seabed, technological tools such as an unmanned and remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV), combined with virtual reality glasses, are used.

Photogrammetric records and video animations are made, in addition to textured, manoeuvrable, and printed three-dimensional models to make the underwater heritage accessible to the blind community, concluded Gonçalo Lopes.

The MUCH Lagos – Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage of Lagos was approved by the National Centre for Nautical and Underwater Archaeology (CNANS), of Cultural Heritage, the tutelage and the organization responsible for the underwater cultural heritage of mainland Portugal.

The project is aligned with UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 and with the principles and guidelines of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.