This seminar includes two presentations:
Anfeh’s Conservation Strategy. A Model for Mediterranean Heritage by Nadine Panayot
This presentation highlights an interdisciplinary project centered on the site of Anfeh in North Lebanon, illustrating a holistic conservation strategy that integrates both tangible and intangible heritage.
It begins with an overview of Anfeh’s geographical and geological context, followed by its rich historical layers and recent archaeological discoveries. The team’s outreach efforts led to the creation of the Hima and Anfeh’s inclusion on UNESCO’s Indicative List. Building on this foundation, subsequent initiatives—such as an urban landscape management plan, archaeological trails, and a proposed ecological museum—bridge sea and land to revitalize the area. Central to this approach is the active involvement of local residents, who transform heritage from a static legacy into a dynamic, lived reality.
This community-driven model not only safeguards Anfeh’s cultural landscape but also aligns with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, offering a replicable framework for Mediterranean heritage preservation.
Navigating Lebanon's Maritime Past: From Early Explorations to Contemporary Approaches and Preservation Challenges by Lucy Semaan
Maritime archaeology in Lebanon offers vital insights into the country’s intrinsic and complex relationship with the sea, from ancient seafaring to modern coastal urbanisation.
This lecture examines the development and current state of the field in Lebanon, situating the discipline within its historical trajectory and the contemporary challenges it faces. Beginning with early accounts by post-medieval European travellers and the pioneering work of figures such as Honor Frost, the session traces the emergence of maritime archaeological enquiry in Lebanon, including early explorations during the twentieth century and locally driven initiatives undertaken even during the civil war.
The lecture highlights the diversity of maritime cultural heritage across the Lebanese coast, encompassing harbour structures, shipwrecks, quarries, river mouths, and coastal urban sites. Drawing on recent and ongoing projects supported by the Honor Frost Foundation, it outlines multidisciplinary approaches that integrate geo-archaeology, remote sensing, marine geophysics, and diver-based fieldwork. Special attention is given to rescue archaeology and heritage response efforts following coastal development pressures and crises, such as the Beirut port explosion.
The presentation also reflects on the sociopolitical and economic challenges that hinder preservation, including looting, unregulated salvage, and limited institutional capacity in the country. Finally, the lecture considers prospects, emphasising capacity building, public engagement, legislative reform, and creating sustainable frameworks to safeguard Lebanon’s rich but endangered maritime heritage.
About the Speakers
Nadine Panayot
Nadine Panayot is Curator, Archaeological Museum and Associate Professor, American University of Beirut (AUB).
Nadine Panayot is currently serving as Curator of the Archaeological Museum and Associate Professor of Practice at the American University of Beirut (AUB). With over three decades of fieldwork across Lebanon and Southwest Asia, her work focuses on the intersection of archaeology, cultural preservation with a growing emphasis on digital technologies, and community engagement.
She has curated numerous exhibitions and interdisciplinary events, both locally and internationally, emphasizing inclusive practices, accessibility, and cross-cultural dialogue. Following the 2020 Beirut port explosion, she led the restoration of AUB’s shattered glass collection, recognized with the 2023 Nigel Williams Conservation Award (Runner-Up).
A committed advocate for community-led conservation, she directs the Hima Anfeh reserve and serves on several scientific and advisory boards. A member of ICOM since 1992, she has held leadership roles in national and regional committees and currently presides over the working committee of the UNESCO National Commission while also serving on the Scientific Committee of ALIPH.
In 2023, she was named Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture.
Lucy Semaan
Lucy Semaan is lead maritime archaeologist of the Honor Frost Foundation (HFF) in Lebanon and the Lebanon team manager. Visiting lecturer at the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut (AUB).
Lucy Semaan is also a visiting lecturer at the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where she teaches the Minor in Marine Sciences and Culture (MSCU) program. She is a member of the International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH), a scientific committee of ICOMOS, and serves on the HFF Steering Committee on Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH).
Since 2019, Dr. Semaan has headed the rescue team of maritime archaeologists established by the HFF in Lebanon. She has also been assisting the Foundation in its capacity-building initiatives in Lebanon since its inception. She has participated in and managed several archaeological projects in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia.
Her research interests include maritime cultural landscapes and seascapes; coastal and underwater geo-morphology; capacity building; rescue Archaeology; Archaeology in conflict zones; maritime ethnography; and traditional wooden boat building.