Dr Arturo Rey da Silva
Honor Frost Scholar in Marine Cultural Heritage; Heritage Studies; Maritime Archaeology
Contact details
- Email: arturo.rey@ed.ac.uk
Address
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School of History, Classics and Archaeology, William Robertson Wing
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- Post code
Background
Dr Arturo Rey da Silva is a maritime archaeologist and heritage researcher, with large experience in the field of international cooperation, capacity-building, and heritage diplomacy. Between 2011 and 2018 he was part of the UNESCO Secretariat, where he worked giving technical assistance to the Member States to advance research and capacities in maritime archaeology and heritage protection, as well as providing guidance for heritage policy development. Since 2018, Arturo has worked with UNESCO Headquarters and Field Offices -notably in Africa, Central Asia and Latin America-, establishing regional capacity-strengthening strategies, outreach initiatives, policy-oriented programmes, and results-based frameworks. He got his Ph.D. in January 2021 from the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, after undertaking a research fellowship at the Spanish School of History and Archaeology in Rome, with a thesis that looked into the institutionalization of underwater archaeology within international cooperation schemes, and its contribution to sustainable development.
Arturo has also large experience in teaching and establishing educative programmes. He is a visiting lecturer in Heritage at several universities (i.e. The University of Alexandria in Egypt, the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, The University of Cadiz in Spain, or the University Externado in Colombia). He is a Member of the ICOMOS International Committee for Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH), ICOMOS Spanish National Commission, and UNESCO Ocean Literacy Global Expert Group.
He is currently an Honor Frost Scholar in Marine Cultural Heritage at the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology where he analyzes the contribution of heritage research and management to the sustainability of coastal communities, notably in East Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, through the Rising from the Depths Network (RftD) projects and the Honor Frost Foundation supported actions.
Responsibilities & affiliations
- Member of the ICOMOS International Committee of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH)
- Member of the UNESCO Ocean Literacy Global Group of Experts
- Member of the Scientific Committee, PERICLES Project
- Editorial Board Member, Journal of Maritime Archaeology
Research summary
Places:
- Africa
- Latin America
- Mediterranean
- Near East
Themes:
- Ancient Civilisations
- Culture
- Landscapes & Monuments
- Material Culture
- Politics
- Society
Periods:
- Prehistory
- Early Historic
- Antiquity
- Medieval
- Twentieth Century & After
Research interests
My research interests range from the understanding of local communities’ traditional technical, conceptual and spiritual uses of maritime spaces to the study of heritage conceptualization within maritime groups, its institutionalization through heritage diplomacy processes, and the role played by maritime archaeology in the development of intercultural dialogue, cooperation, and sustainable development policies.
I am particularly interested in the relation between the past human interactions with the marine environment and present societies as well as in the way this can contribute to designing strategies to face current global challenges.
Further general areas of interest are:
- Maritime Archaeology
- Marine Cultural Heritage Preservation
- Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development
- Heritage Diplomacy and Cultural Internationalism
- Maritime Ethnography
- HOLLY, G., REY DA SILVA, A., HENDERSON, J., BITA, C., FORSYTHE, W., OMBE, Z. A., … ROBERTS, H. (2022). Utilizing Marine Cultural Heritage for the Preservation of Coastal Systems in East Africa. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 10(5), 693.
- Azzopardi, E., Kenter, J. O., Young, J., Leakey, C., O’Connor, S., Martino, S., … Pita, C. (2022). What are heritage values? Integrating natural and cultural heritage into environmental valuation. People and Nature.
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2021): “Standardizing capacity-development in underwater archaeology: A Strategy for the Central Asian and Caspian Sea Region”, in HAFNER, A. & SEMAAN L. (eds), Heritage Under Water at Risk: Threat-Challenges-Solutions, Special Edition 2021, Heritage at Risk, pp. 170-177, ICOMOS
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2020): “Sailing the waters of sustainability. Reflections on the future of maritime cultural heritage protection in the global sea of development”, in European Post-Classical Archaeologies, Volume 10, pp. 345-372
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2019): “Bulgaria sets a precedent for joint Conventions actions », in World Heritage, Volume 90, pp. 70-71
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo & HERRERA TOVAR, Jorge Manuel (2017): “Constructing America from the Sea: Maritime Archaeology Research, International Cooperation, and Best Practices in the Underwater Cultural Heritage of Latin America”, in Recent Ideas and Actors in Latin American Maritime Archaeology (Ideas y Actores Recientes en la Arqueología Marítima Latinoamericana), Special Issue of the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, Volume 12, Issue 3, December 2017; pp. 149-162
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo & HERRERA TOVAR, Jorge Manuel (eds.) (2017): Recent Ideas and Actors in Latin American Maritime Archaeology (Ideas y Actores Recientes en la Arqueología Marítima Latinoamericana), Special Issue of the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, Volume 12, Issue 3, December 2017
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2015): “Designating a UNESCO List of Best Practices of Access to underwater cultural heritage”, Proceedings of the V International Congress of Underwater Archaeology (IKUWA), Cádiz: Universidad de Cádiz
- GUÈRIN, Ulrike, REY DA SIVA, Arturo & SIMOND, Lucas (eds.) (2014): Underwater Cultural Heritage from World War I. Proceedings of the Scientific Conference on the Occasion of the Centenary of World War I Bruges, Belgium, 26 & 27 June 2014, Paris: UNESCO
- GUÈRIN, Ulrike, TIMMERMANS, Dik & REY DA SILVA, Arturo (eds.) (2015): Heritage for Peace and Reconciliation Safeguarding the Underwater Cultural Heritage of the First World War. Manual for Teachers, Paris: UNESCO
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2013): “Beneficios y sostenibilidad de la implementación de los programas de la UNESCO para la protección del patrimonio cultural subacuático en América Latina y el Caribe”, Proceedings of the First National Congress on Nautical and Underwater Archaeology, Cartagena: National Museum of Underwater Archaeology ARQUA
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2013): “The UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: The Development of Underwater Archaeology and the Public access”, Proceedings of the 5th Baltic Sea Regional Cultural Heritage Forum, Tallinn, Estonia (17 September 2013)
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2012): "Capacitación social, desarrollo sostenible y protección del Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático: la protección in situ como primera opción", Proceedings of the V Seminar of Young Researchers in Archaeology (JIA): Archaeology for the 21st Century”, Santiago de Compostela: JAS Arqueología SLU
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2012): “The UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage”. Manual on Underwater Cultural Heritage, India: Marine Archaeology Centre, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2012): “Ruta marítima fenicia y púnica en la Península Ibérica”, Atlas de Caminería Hispánica. Caminería Peninsular y del Mediterráneo, Vol. 1; Caminería Peninsular y del Mediterráneo, Madrid: Colegio de Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2012): “Nautical iconography from the Iberian Peninsula in Prehistory”. Manual on Underwater Cultural Heritage, India: Marine Archaeology Centre, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2011): “La Convención de la UNESCO de 2001: Diez años protegiendo el patrimonio cultural subacuático”, Proceedings of the Seminar on Underwater Archaeology of the National Museum Underwater Archaeology ARQVA, 3 & 4 December 2011, Madrid: Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
- REY DA SILVA, Arturo (2010): “Mar y Guerra en el Mediterráneo Antiguo”, Actas del Ier. Congreso Internacional Herakleion. Aníbal de Cartago. Mito y Realidad, Madrid: Universidad Complutense de Madrid