Claudia Chemello & Paul Mardikian, 2025-2026 Suzanne Deal Booth Rome Prize Fellows in Historic Preservation and Conservation, are co-founders of Terra Mare Conservation, a practice dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage through interdisciplinary collaboration.
During their fellowship, they explored the concept and practice of in situ preservation, with a specific focus on underwater cultural heritage. Our research examined in situ preservation efforts at various archaeological sites in Rome and Italy, as well as collections that curate and exhibit recovered underwater archaeological materials. This research focused on the preservation of the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring captives from Africa to the United States.
How has your time in Rome shaped or shifted the direction of your project so far?
Our time in Rome has continually fed and reshaped our exploration of what in situ preservation means for submerged heritage and its vital connection to safeguarding collective memory. The greatest gift of the Academy has been the opportunity to think beyond the boundaries of our own disciplines. Every conversation became an invitation to see our work differently, and those encounters will continue to shape our research long after we leave Rome.
Our work extended beyond technical conservation questions to explore the sociocultural aspects of submerged heritage, and how these sites can support community identity, local economies, and strengthen connections between people and place. Drawing on examples from both Italy and the United States, we have examined how underwater cultural heritage can serve as a vehicle for education, remembrance, and cultural dialogue.
A significant achievement of our Rome residency was organizing an impactful meeting, "The Clotilda Shipwreck: Significance, Archaeology, and In Situ Preservation," held in Rome on June 5, 2026. This gathering brought together international professionals and descendant community representatives from Italy, Europe, and the United States to discuss the ship's archaeological investigation, significance for the descendant community, long-term care strategies, and the broader vulnerability of underwater cultural heritage.
What part of your daily routine or environment at the Academy has most influenced you and your work?
The opportunity to devote dedicated time to our particular area of focus has been an incredible gift, made even more special by our beautiful studio space in the Bass Garden. We do not have access to this kind of space in our daily lives, and it will remain a cherished memory.
Coming together at the Academy for shared meals allowed for truly serendipitous connections. The incredible people we have met from various fields and disciplines, the stories we shared, and the ideas generated during meals are where the magic truly happens.
Have any encounters—with people, places, or new information—opened up new paths in your research or practice in the past months?
It is difficult to answer this question concisely, as there have been many memorable moments throughout our time at the Academy that have helped shape new ideas and pushed our work in new directions.
We greatly appreciated our partnership with the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro for their collaboration in organizing the meeting about the Clotilda and for generously providing a venue.
We are equally thankful for the support from UNESCO for that meeting, given that 2026 is the 25th anniversary of the 2021 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The gathering brought together international and Italian professionals working in underwater cultural heritage and a member of the Clotilda descendant community to discuss the significance of the Clotilda and its long-term preservation challenges.
We were deeply inspired by the many Fellows who lent their voices and vision to our meeting, championing the social advocacy and restorative justice essential to the inclusive frameworks necessary to achieve true historical accountability and honor the legacy of this ship. We are grateful to Academy Director Aliza Wong for her unconditional support, as well as to the anonymous donor who enabled this meeting to take place.
Our many conversations with landscape architects Sean Burkholder and Karen Lutsky have been instrumental in developing numerous ideas and identifying avenues for future work regarding the river landscape where the Clotilda is located. The riverine environment is central to the ship's preservation. Honoring and protecting this site remains essential to the ship's effective management and long-term conservation.
Our time in Rome also enabled us to connect both in person and virtually with many colleagues in the heritage conservation sector, including archaeologists and conservators, as well as conservation educators. These conversations focused on themes of emotion, interconnectedness, and change across care practices, all of which deeply resonate with our project.