Historic Landscapes, Seascapes and Maritime Heritage

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 7304

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
Interests: maritime archaeology and heritage; coastal landscapes/seascapes; maritime economies and trade; post-medieval; intertidal archaeology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
Interests: remote sensing; climate change; GIS; coastal erosion; maritime archaeology; quaternary science; palaeolithic/mesolithic

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue presents various studies on maritime landscapes and seascapes in the historical period. While the study of coastal communities in the historical era is aided by documentary, cartographic and visual material, this is by no means uniformly available across the globe. Therefore, the work undertaken by archaeologists, museum specialists and heritage practitioners are vital to exploring the maritime interface. Although relatively underdeveloped in this era, maritime archaeology intersects with many pressing historical themes, from capitalism and colonialism to social class and gender relations. The materiality of maritime landscapes and seascapes encapsulates trade and transport, settlement and defense in the service of these broader themes reflecting a truly globalized and connected world. This Special Issue aims to reflect the diversity of work being undertaken by colleagues working on historical landscapes and seascapes. We welcome papers dealing with archaeological sites and monuments; artefactual studies, which speak to broader landscape/seascapes; methodologies that examine heritage at the landscape scale; and work designed to access and record the maritime heritage of the recent past. In addition, colleagues are invited to submit articles that address contemporary issues impacting the sustainability of coastal communities and their heritage assets.

Dr. Wes Forsythe
Dr. Kieran Westley
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 10832 KiB  
Article
Developing Heritage Preservation on Ilha de Moçambique Using a Historic Urban Landscape Approach
by Solange Macamo, Miguel Raimundo, Abigail Moffett and Paul Lane
Heritage 2024, 7(4), 2011-2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7040095 - 29 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1803
Abstract
In 2011, a new approach was introduced into the management of heritage on Ilha de Moçambique by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Known as the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, this seeks to expand current understanding of the island’s historic urban heritage, recognising [...] Read more.
In 2011, a new approach was introduced into the management of heritage on Ilha de Moçambique by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Known as the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, this seeks to expand current understanding of the island’s historic urban heritage, recognising that ‘heritage’ is not limited solely to monuments or the built environment. Importantly, HUL incorporates urban sustainable development within the scope of heritage preservation. Given this, the adoption of the HUL approach has the potential to contribute to ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the built heritage, as prescribed by the 1972 UNESCO Convention, of Ilha de Moçambique, and effectively maintaining the Outstanding Universal Values that resulted in the declaration of the island as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. This paper discusses how local communities use the resources and heritage available to them and the central role of commerce, and the marketplace, in the heritage landscape of the island. A critical aspect of this is the sale of antiquities, including archaeological items, to tourists. Perspectives developed within the Rising from the Depths (RftD) network recently supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) UK, with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), offer positive alternative solutions to overcome this challenging situation. In particular, the network sought to identify how the tangible submerged and coastal Marine Cultural Heritage (MCH) of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar, and its associated intangible aspects, can be utilised to stimulate ethical, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth in the region. Our paper demonstrates how the implementation of the RftD initiative when combined with the HUL approach can help to increase awareness among communities on Ilha de Moçambique about the relevance of their heritage and the need for preserving it while meeting everyday needs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Historic Landscapes, Seascapes and Maritime Heritage)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5677 KiB  
Article
An Outport for Gedi?—Archaeological Survey in Mida Creek, Kenya
by Caesar Bita and Wes Forsythe
Heritage 2023, 6(12), 7366-7380; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6120386 - 24 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1551
Abstract
Communities of the East African coast have had a long history of international interaction. Swahili maritime networks linked African port towns across the Indian Ocean seaboard, thus enabling merchandise to reach the hinterlands of the continent. One of these Swahili towns is the [...] Read more.
Communities of the East African coast have had a long history of international interaction. Swahili maritime networks linked African port towns across the Indian Ocean seaboard, thus enabling merchandise to reach the hinterlands of the continent. One of these Swahili towns is the ancient city of Gedi, located on the central Kenyan coast near the medieval town of Malindi. Located inshore, 6 km from the main ocean to the southeast and 3 km from Mida Creek to the southwest, Gedi’s lack of seaward connectivity has perplexed scholars. To effectively function within the vibrant Indian Ocean maritime trade networks of the 10th to 16th centuries CE, Gedi needed access to the sea. Inevitably goods had to be transported overland from a port or landing place. The ‘MUCH to Discover in Mida Creek’ project carried out an archaeological survey around the Creek to form a broader understanding of the region’s maritime past. The study identified a range of sites that evidence past coastal activity. In particular, a concentration of contemporary house sites at Chafisi near the closest point on the Creek to Gedi would suggest it may have acted as an outport for the stone town. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Historic Landscapes, Seascapes and Maritime Heritage)
Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7195 KiB  
Article
Living by the Sea: Amphibious Landscapes of Identity and Community in a 19th-Century “Fisher’s” Village (Grândola, Portugal)
by Tânia M. Casimiro
Heritage 2023, 6(10), 6510-6525; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6100340 - 24 Sep 2023
Viewed by 3061
Abstract
Mid-19th century maps of Tróia Peninsula (Grândola) indicated the existence of a site named “Fishermen’s huts” on the beach. The site was partially excavated in 2019 and presents the characteristics of a village where around a dozen vernacular architecture shacks accommodated people who [...] Read more.
Mid-19th century maps of Tróia Peninsula (Grândola) indicated the existence of a site named “Fishermen’s huts” on the beach. The site was partially excavated in 2019 and presents the characteristics of a village where around a dozen vernacular architecture shacks accommodated people who lived there between approximately 1860 and 1920. The architecture, material culture, and settlement location reveal the presence of a population with specific social and cultural characteristics related to an amphibious or hybrid lifestyle between the land and the sea. This paper presents this community, considering the relation of the people living there with the surrounding environment (natural and cultural resources) and relations within the community, where it was possible to recognize different genders and identities. These considerations are framed within social, economic, and cultural concepts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Historic Landscapes, Seascapes and Maritime Heritage)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop