On March 1, 2015, the Greek Chapter of ARCH and ARCH International successfully nominated the oldest submerged city of Pavlopetri to be included on the World Monuments Fund’s Watch. According to the WMF, “Every two years since 1996, the World Monuments Watch has presented a call to action for cultural heritage around the globe that is at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. The 2016 Watch continues this tradition of identifying places with compelling opportunities for positive change.” In 2014, sixty-seven sites from forty-one countries were included in the Watch.

Pavlopetri’s nomination received strong support and a letter of endorsement from Professor Anthony Harding, who worked on the first expedition to the site in 1968. Professor Nicholas Flemming, who was the first to discover the site, provided excellent photographs and maps from early excavations, as well as from more recent ones. The Mayor of Elafonisos, Haralambos Liaros, submitted his letter of support for the nomination.

For Pavlopetri, inclusion on the Watch could make the critical difference between being overwhelmed by commercial interests of ship owners and power plant developers, or being recognized as a unique archeological site and protected accordingly. So far, efforts of the Greek Chapter of ARCH – and the additional support of being added to the sites featured for protection by ARCH International – have helped delay the passage of the Special Port Regulation that would allow ships to anchor legally in Vatika Bay. Inclusion on the Watch could provide the leverage needed to convince the Coast Guard, the Ephorate of the Ministry of Greek Culture and the Ministry of Tourism to take positive steps to protect the site with buoys, informational plaques, and status as a Marine Protected Area, and a positive Special Port Regulation to protect Vatika Bay.

The process of nominating Pavlopetri for the Watch has already worked in its favor. The President of ARCH International, Cheryl Benard, contacted Marc Lodewijckx, Secretary of the European Association of Archeologists, who assured ARCH that the EAA will discuss Pavlopetri, and ways to support its protection, during the EAA’s March board meeting. We will report on any conclusions reached by the EAA.

The World Monuments Fund is currently in the process of taking a careful look at Pavlopetri’s nomination. This will take several months. In the meantime, the Greek Chapter of ARCH and ARCH International will continue their efforts to focus attention on Pavlopetri to promote its protection, preservation, and further scientific exploration. We would like to thank everyone who is an active part of these efforts. For updates on current developments, please check the website www.pavlopetri.org and the Greek Chapter of ARCH Facebook page.”