Roberto Gallardo

This publication gathers ten of the eleven most important findings so far identified within the development of the project ''Record and Documentation of the Maritime Heritage in El Salvador''. 1 This project, resulting from the cooperation between UNESCO and several national entities, is framed within a context in which underwater archaeology in the country, and in most Central America, requires the strengthening of protection policies as well as the implementation of initiatives to consolidate the real scientific value of archaeological remains in maritime contexts, as opposed to the economic value and current related practices that threaten their integrity and safeguarding.The publication aims to work as a tool for the dissemination of maritime archaeological heritage in El Salvador and contribute to the enhancement of its study and protection.In the first part, the author recognizes and discusses the archaeological, historical and cultural potential of the Salvadorian coast, mostly to point out its close relationship with the peoples in the territory from prehispanic times to today, expressed either as a source of resources through fishing or as a place for trading and transport relationships, with a particular emphasis on the period between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.Navigation during this period is characterized by a transition from sailing ships to steam ships, and from the latter to diesel-powered boats; the shipwrecks documented and presented in this publication are an evidence of this episode in history.After introducing the main aspects for understanding the current situation of underwater archaeology in El Salvador, the author dedicates a chapter to describing the ten shipwrecks studied within the project: the sail boats Kirkdale and

Archaeology · Art · Cultural heritage · Geography · Humanities · Maritime archaeology · Tourism · World heritage · History · Law, logistics, and international trade · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology