The Team
Project Contributors
A number of people have collaborated on this project, all of whom contributed and participated in a variety of ways and their support has been vital in the realisation of this project.
Rebreather
divers
- Natty
- Jamie
- Pasi
- Immi
- Paul
- Charlie
- Fritz
- Arthur
- Roger
- Adam
Boat & surface
support
- Kevin
- Jason
- Keith
- Robert
Photogrammetry & 3D visualisations
- Kotaro Yamafume
- Chris Rowland
Project Organisers
Timmy Gambin
Timmy Gambin is an Associate Professor in Maritime Archaeology at the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta. He graduated in History from this University and went on to attain his Masters in Maritime Archaeology and History from the University of Bristol where he also got his doctorate in Maritime Archaeology. Prof Gambin has been involved in numerous collaborative research projects, and has also co-directed numerous offshore underwater surveys in various parts of the Mediterranean.
Role within the project
Timmy is the initiator and director of the online museum.
Dave Gration
Dave Gration is a freelance technical diving instructor with extensive experience in all areas of diving. He has a passion for teaching and photography, and also likes to work on expeditions to unknown wrecks and caves, some of which are at great depths and in extreme locations. For a number of years now he has been the Diving Safety Officer for the University of Malta and the Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit at Heritage Malta. This has provided him with the opportunity to dive and work on wrecks that have never been seen or photographed before.
Role within the project
Dave acts as the dive safety officer for the projects and is also the main photographer on expeditions.
Maja Sausmekat
Maja Sausmekat is an archaeologist and a graduate from the University of Malta, having recently obtained a Masters in Archaeological Practice. Maja recently joined Heritage Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit, combining a passion for research with everything underwater.
Role within the project
Maja is responsible for desk-based research for the sites as well as the artefacts.
Darko Kovacevic
Darko is a maritime archaeologist at Heritage Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit. He obtained his B.A. and M.A. in History at the University of Novi Sad, which was followed with an M.A in Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage at the University of Alexandria in Egypt. Over the last few years, Darko has been involved in a number of collaborative research projects across the Mediterranean, participating in numerous surveys with various institutions, such as the Hellenic Institute for Ancient and Medieval Alexandrian Studies, Egypt and survey campaigns off the Fourni Islands, Greece. Other projects include excavations of Mycenaean Shipwrecks off the island of Poros, and a number of archaeology projects in Croatia, Lebanon and Malta. Darko is an active scuba diving instructor and technical diver.
Role within the project
Darko is responsible for coordinating aspects of the museum related to the management of underwater cultural heritage. He is also the ROV operator and acts as a support diver.
John Wood
John Wood is a University of Malta graduate, and has worked in the Information Technology field for almost 40 years. He has been an avid diver for the last 20 years and a technical rebreather diver since 2015. He joined the University of Malta Maritime Archeological diving team in 2017, focusing primarily on developing skills and techniques in underwater 3D photogrammetry for public outreach purposes as well as for technical documentation of sites and excavations.
Role within the project
John dives and records the sites for the 3D photogrammetry models. Out of the water he processes the datasets and creates the models. He has been instrumental in the development of the methods and technology needed to put the museum together.
Gianmichele Iaria
Gianmichele Iaria is an avid diver, technical diver and instructor, with decades of experience under his belt. His passion for diving has taken him all over the world, participating in several expeditions, including a number of projects in Malta. Amongst these are the discovery and exploration of the Polish destroyer ORP Kujawiak in 2015-2018 and the on-going Phoenician Shipwreck project in Xlendi Bay, Gozo. Gianmichele continues to teach and explore the underwater world, with numerous future expeditions planned.
Role within the project
Gianmichele is the main videographer of the project and also acts as a safety diver.
Alberto Bravo-Morata
Alberto Bravo-Morata is an archaeologist focused on ancient Mediterranean research related to trading and navigation activities in antiquity, and is specialised in excavation methodologies and new documentation techniques for submerged and semi-submerged archaeological sites.
After participating in a number of international projects in different countries around the Mediterranean, he is currently working at the University of Malta as a research support officer at the Underwater Archaeology department.
Role within the project
Surface support and safety diver, as well as, coordinating the logistics.
Kari Hyttinen
Kari Hyttinen is a technical diver/underwater videographer from Finland. He specializes in documenting deep wreck sites with 3D photogrammetry. He has been involved in numerous wreck documentation projects in the Gulf of Finland as well as in Scotland and Malta. In Finland he has been involved in documenting a number of recently found WWI and WWII submarines. In Scapa Flow, he was responsible for the 3D photogrammetry modelling of the British WWI warships HMS Hampshire and HMS Vanguard as well as documenting the German WWI wrecks for the Scapa 100 project. In Malta, Kari has documented a number of deep wreck sites, and also forms part of the team investigating the Phoenician Shipwreck.
Role within the project
Kari dives and records the sites for the 3D photogrammetry models. Out of the water he processes the datasets and creates some of the models.
Hubert Borġ
Hubert Borġ has been in the SCUBA diving business for nearly two decades. A Tec Trimix and Staff Instructor with over 25 years of experience exploring Malta’s underwater landscape, Hubert recently entered the world of photogrammetry, having dedicated previous years to the world of underwater photography. As an avid X-CCR diver, Hubert is currently collaborating with the Virtual Museum and is engaged in creating a series of 3D models and other visual content of Maltese wrecks.
Role within the project
Hubert dives and records sites for the 3D photogrammetry models.
