MARE's Present This past year MARE was also active off the Greek island of Zakynthos. This was the first work to be conducted in these waters by a foreign team since Peter Throckmorton ' s work in the 60s and 70s. The project was a collaboration with the Ephoria of Underwater Antiquities and was co-directed by Mensun and the esteemed Greek archaeologist Caterina Delaportas. The island proved to have a remarkably rich submerged cultural heritage which ranged from a sunken habitation site, to a 6th century BC amphora wreck, and even a vessel from the period of Venetian occupation. Later in the year the team went to the tiny Italian island of Gorgona,just west ofLivorno (Leghorn). Because Gorgona is a prison island (in fact, it is frequently called the Alcatraz of Italy), it is closed to the public and thus has never been dived. This work was a collaboration with the Superintendency of Archaeology for Tuscany and involved the well-known Italian diving team Naupegos, led by Enrico Ciabatti . The operation proved very successful; many sites were surveyed and a wide range of articles were raised for examination. The team also made much use of its new underwater video equipment to film every aspect of the work. But MARE is not only interested in wrecks from antiquity , for as this article goes to press, survey work under the direction of Mensun is being carried out on some of the 19th century hulks in the Falklands in an attempt to record them before they disintegrate. As with all MARE's projects, this one is also being done in collaboration with the World Ship Trust. On March 23, 1991, MARE in collaboration with the World Ship Trust will host an international conference on the
underwater archaeology of Greece. This will be followed by its annual dinner, held this year aboard HMS Belfast. Once again it is aiming to provide a forum in which new relationships can be formed and existing ones enhanced. To secure a report on this conference write to Oxford University MARE (4 Butts Rd, Horspath, Oxford OX9 lRH).
The Future In 1986 the governing body of the University of Oxford formally recognized the importance of the work being conducted, and itmade MAREa permanent unit of the University. More recently the University has offered a one and two year graduate degree program in maritime archaeology which is already attracting students from around the world. The academic program, together with the field work, make Oxford the leading center for maritime archaeological studies in England. There is now a large group of people dedicated to the continued success of MARE. Overten years, one man 's enthusiasm has rubbed off on many. The growing awareness of the wealth of material hidden beneath our great oceans and lakes will keep the members of MARE busy for many generations to come. As always, the challenges will be many, but so are the rewards. I shall never forget the moment at Panarea when, after many hours of excavation, a complete skyphos (drinking tumbler) seemingly jumped clear of the sediment and came to rest in my hands, the first hands to touch it in 2400 years.
Timothy Dingemans worked as a volunteer diver on the Mary Rose project and has been active in MARE/or several years, most recently serving as Administration Director.
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