Notas sobre o património arqueológico subaquático em Moçambique medidas de protecção legal

Abstract

The coast of Mozambique has a vast museological collection that consists of the underwater archaeological heritage, dating from the 1st to 10th AD centuries, corresponding to the proto Swahili period of Bantu origin and which was consolidated with Arab contacts. Coastal contacts in Mozambique have developed continuously, together with with the Chinese presence. Portuguese penetration was also verified, since the 19th century XVI. This period was marked by long distance commercial contacts with navigators on the Mozambican sea coast, which resulted in the crossing of diverse cultures in our country, of African, Asian and European origin, as witnesses the Island of Mozambique, National and World Cultural Heritage of Humanity, declared by UNESCO, in 1991. But it is not only at sea that lies the underwater archaeological wealth in Mozambique, as well as under rivers and lakes and still in the intertidal zone. This thesis, based on the sources of study existing in the archives of the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and later of Culture and Tourism, as well as as well as the Department of Archeology and Anthropology, the Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences of UEM and in the compilation of national and international legislation, contextualizes the national underwater archaeological heritage, from the point of view historic and legal. This thesis shows the need to protect the heritage underwater archaeological site in Mozambique, with the aim of enhancing it in the research, education and cultural tourism. The study carried out helps to substantiate the importance of ratification by the Government Mozambican, of the 2001 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Heritage Underwater Cultural.