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NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY
© This material copyright Timothy E. Gregory; all rights reserved.
Duplication and/or distribution for commercial purposes is forbidden
I. Overview
A. While the field goes by many names,
nautical archaeology, maritime archaeology, or underwater archaeology, they all refer to
the same basic aspect of the discipline: the archaeological excavation of a site (ship,
building, etc.) that is located underwater (200 feet or 1 foot).
B. Misconceptions:
1. Nautical archaeology is not as
scientific as terrestrial archaeology.
2. It is easier and more high profile.
3. There is GOLD everywhere.
4. It deals only with shipwrecks.
II. Early History
A. Leon Battista Alberti: Was hired by
Cardinal Colonna in 1446 to locate sunken ships near Rome. Alberti located 2 ships in Lake
Nemi, but due to the depth, was only able to raise part of a statue to the surface.
B. Ferdinand Keller: President of the
Zurich Antiquarian Society was notified of the discovery of pilings in the mud of the bank
of Lake Zurich, which had been shrinking due to lack of precipitation. In 1853-54, Keller
along with the society attempted to pull as many artifacts as possible from the shallows
of the lake.
C. Antikythera: Helmet diving gear had been
introduced into the Aegean by 1868. In that first year of the 24 divers that learned to
use the gear, 10 died from the bends. In October of 1900, Captain Dimitrios Kondos and his
sponge divers found a shipwreck with many small bronze statues onboard. Hearing of the
find, the Greek government stepped in and took over the raising of the cargo.
D. In June of 1943 Commander Jacques Yves
Cousteau along with Emile Gagnan developed the aqualung, which revolutionized diving and
maritime archaeology, but also allowed anyone access to underwater sites.
III. Famous sites
A. Vasa: On August 10, 1628 the
1,300 ton Swedish warship Vasa left the harbor on her maiden voyage. A sudden
squall caused her to tip over and her open gunports quickly filled with water and she
sank. In 1956, Anders Franzen located her and a salvage attempt was begun. Wires were
passed under the hull and the vessel was lifted to a shallow depth, where the ports were
sealed and the water pumped out. The entire procedure took 5 years. The conservation took
many years.
B. Cape Gelidonya: Discovered by Peter
Throckmorton in 1958, the wreck (from the Bronze Age c. 1200 BC) was excavated under the
direction of George Bass, a classical archaeologist from the University of Pennsylvania.
The was the first underwater site to be excavated under the direction of an archaeologist,
not professional divers. Bass followed this project up with the excavation of a Byzantine
wreck at Yassi Ada, where he refined his techniques.
C. Mary Rose: A member of Henry
VIII's navy, she sank during a battle with French forces. The site was surveyed from 1961
to 1978. In 1979 it was decided to excavate the site and raise the hull under the
direction of Dr. Margaret Rule. From 1979 to 1982 24,640 dives (9 years of total time)
were made on the site.
IV. Schools for nautical archaeology
A. Texas A & M: Established by George
Bass in the early 1970's, this program offers both a MA and Ph.D. in Nautical Archaeology.
While some New World Archaeology is carried out (Port Royal, Jamaica), the main focus is
on the Mediterranean.
B. East Carolina University (North
Carolina): Founded in the late 1970's by William N. Still, this program offers both a BA
and a MA in Nautical Archaeology and Maritime History, with a Ph.D. degree being added in
the next 2 years. The program's main focus is on New World Archaeology.
C. Saint Andrews (Scotland): The Scottish
Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) was founded at the University of St. Andrews,
Scotland, ten years ago to further interdisciplinary teaching and research into the
archaeology, ethnology, and history of humankind's relationship with the sea.
V. Field Techniques
A. Location - Perhaps the hardest part of
the excavation is finding the location of the site. Nautical Archaeologists rely on sport
divers, fishermen, and primary source documents for clues where to begin searching. Once
an area is identified, various types of searches are used to locate the site.
- Magnetometer - a device that identifies
variations in the earth's magnetic field, indicating the presence of iron. Requires few
people to operate, but costs $20,000.
- Side Scan Sonar - a device that shows
variations in the bottom's profile, indicating the presence foreign objects. While it is
easy to operate, it costs $75,000.
B. Excavation - Once the site is located,
depending upon the age of the site, some form of excavation must take place to uncover the
site (remove the sand).
- Dredges are used to remove the sand. Unlike
land archaeology, the removal of dirt can not be as carefully monitored. As the excavation
nears the remains, smaller bore dredges are used allowing only the sand to be removed,
while artifacts remain in place. The dredges also have filter bags on the outakes to catch
any items that are inadvertently vacuumed up.
C. Mapping - Once the site is uncovered,
the longest part of the field season begins, the mapping of the site. Artifacts are drawn,
measured, mapped in relation to the site, and photographed before they are removed for
conservation.
- An artificial baseline is created across the
site to give all the participants one point of reference that is used by all.
- Mapping grids are sometimes placed across
the site to help establish size reference, while plumb bobs are used to measure height.
D. Photography - Still photos are taken of
all the artifacts and the site. A collage of photos (stereoscopic photography) taken from
set points above the site can be used to create a true picture of the site.
E. End of Season - Recover (replace the
sand) the site if not raised to the surface. This is to prevent further damage to the site
from waves, currents, or other divers.
F. Conservation - Usually the hardest and
most expensive part of nautical archaeology. Items removed from a water environment can
disintegrate in a matter of days if not properly cared for. A plan of conservation and
funding sources must be established before the recovery of any items.
VI. Experimental Archaeology
-- One area that has received much attention
in the last few years, is the area of experimental archaeology: the practice of
duplicating objects and manufacturing processes utilized in the ancient fabrication of
artifacts.
A. Kyrenia II: Based upon the
recovery of the Kyrenia, off the coast of Cyprus (c. 288 BC), an attempt was made
to create a replica of the ship based upon the information gained from the excavation.
B. Olympias: In order to answer
questions about the use and function of a Greek trireme, a reconstruction of a trireme was
created in 1985 by a collaboration between the Trireme Trust and the Greek government. The
vessel has been undergoing sea trials in the Aegean since 1987 under the supervision of
the Hellenic navy.
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