International Maritime Archaeology Conference addresses the future of Ses Fontanelles shipwreck

Antònia Roca highlighted that rigor has guided the planning of the extraction and conservation of the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck, a project endorsed by the international scientific community and now strengthened with the incorporation of ARQUA.

The Consell de Mallorca officially launched today, Wednesday, 22 October, the International Maritime Archaeology Conference: the case of the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck, which is being held on 22 and 23 October in the auditorium of the Asociación de Hoteleros de la Playa de Palma. The main objective of these conference sessions is to define the process for the final extraction of the shipwreck, scheduled for 2026, and to establish the foundations for its conservation and dissemination, with the participation of nationally and internationally recognized researchers and specialists.

The Vice President of the Consell de Mallorca and Councillor for Culture and Heritage, Antònia Roca, officially inaugurated the event and highlighted the scientific and heritage importance of the project:

“Initially, it seemed that the ship was intact, but new research has confirmed that it no longer preserves the keel, and this was a key factor in deciding that the extraction must be carried out in fragments. This process reminds us of the importance of science and rigor: we must let the data, not haste, guide the way. Today we can proudly say that the international scientific community endorses the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck extraction and conservation project, and this confirms that the path we have followed is the correct one.”

One of the highlights of the day was the incorporation of the National Museum of Underwater Archaeology (ARQUA) into the Ses Fontanelles project. Its director, Rafael Sabio González, participated in the conference and presented the main lines of work and perspectives of the institution, emphasizing its role in the research and conservation of maritime heritage.

Roca welcomed this collaboration and stressed that “ARQUA is a benchmark for rigor and science, a prestigious institution that further strengthens the quality and credibility of this project.”

The conference program combined technical presentations, thematic panels, and discussion spaces that will allow, over these two days, the exchange of experiences and methodologies among the leading specialists in the field.

The day began with an intervention by Cristina Guerrero, archaeologist and restorer at the Ministry of Culture, who opened the sessions with a presentation on the lines of work in the management of underwater cultural heritage.

In the afternoon, the first thematic panel was held, chaired by Jaume Cardell Perelló, Head of the Service of Archaeology, Ethnology, and Historical and Industrial Heritage of the Consell de Mallorca, and various presentations were delivered on topics such as the dissemination of submerged heritage, by Dr. Juan Blánquez Pérez (Autonomous University of Madrid); the comprehensive investigation of the Delta I ship, by Dr. Milagros Alzaga García (Underwater Archaeology Center, Junta de Andalucía); underwater projects of the CASC, by Dr. Ruth Geli Mauri (Underwater Archaeology Center of Catalonia); and the recovery of the Phoenician ship of Mazarrón, presented by Sebastià Munar Llabrés and Xim Gual de Torrella.

The conference will continue tomorrow, Thursday, 23rd of October, with more presentations and a roundtable that will delve into the study and conservation strategies of the Ses Fontanelles shipwreck, a project that positions Mallorca at the center of international underwater archaeological research.

On 23 October, participants will include Dr. José Antonio Moya Montoya (University of Alicante), with a presentation on audiovisual documentation applied to underwater archaeology; Dr. Pier Giorgio Spanu (University of Sassari, Italy), with the lecture “L’Archeologia delle acque all’Università di Sassari, tra formazione e ricerca”; and Dr. Miguel Ángel Cau Ontiveros (University of Barcelona), Dr. Darío Bernal Casasola (University of Cádiz), and Dr. Carlos de Juan Fuertes (University of Valencia), who will jointly present updates on “The ARQUEOMALLORNAUTA Project and the Recovery of the Late-Roman Ses Fontanelles Ship.”

The day will close with a roundtable and the official closing ceremony by the President of the Consell de Mallorca, Llorenç Galmés, followed by a guided visit to the Ses Fontanelles archaeological site.