History of underwater archaeology

People have probably always loved history. Already Herodotus, the Greek historian, was fascinated by past civilizations. The ancient Greek and Romans also believed in a Golden Age in times past, when everything supposedly had been much well. During the middle Ages in Europe, this belief continued, letting ancient Rome and Greece represent that lost Golden Age.
Early salvage and diving

The interest in maritime finds was awoken by the find of the Nemi Ships in the 15th century. After that, very little happened until the invention of helmet diving in the early 19th century.
Using helmet divers, the wreck of Royal George (sunken 1782) was salvaged around 1830, but not for archaeological reasons. The wreck was simply an obstacle that had to be removed.
In 1836 the Dean Brothers discovered the wreck of Mary Rose, and salvaged a few objects. Perhaps this is the first case of underwater investigations, made of historical interest.
Also, in 1856 the submerged settlement in the Zürich Lake was investigated by divers and historians.
The diving archaeologist
During the following 70 years, many historic ships were salvaged (pillaged) by divers, but only for commercial reasons. The valuables were sold, and a museum would get the rusty iron cannon or minor objects such as Roman lead anchors. But there was no archaeological investigation.
The first systematic archaeological underwater investigation was probably the recovery of the Nemi Ships in 1929-32, which ware investigated on land, after being towed ashore.

The first case of diving underwater archaeology may have been 1933-39 when the Swedish warship Elefanten (1564) was investigated by helmet divers together with historians.
The breakthrough came after World War II. Thanks to the scuba diving equipment developed by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the underwater world became instantly accessible, and many new ancient wrecks were found at a rapid pace.
A pilot case for archaeology with scuba divers was the Grand Congloué wrecks in France, investigated 1951-57 by Cousteau and Fernand Benoît. When the divers started digging down in the layers covered by sand, they first thought it was one wreck, while in fact it was two wrecks on top of each other.
After the Grand Congloué, many underwater archaeology investigations have been made, by pioneer archaeologists such as Nino Lamboglia, George F. Bass, Peter Throckmorton, and many others.
The methods have improved – slowly and tediously even the smallest objects are recorded, as clues to our understanding of people from times past.
Even though Cousteau was not an archaeologist, he contributed immensely by promoting popular interest for underwater mysteries.
The future?

The problem is time and money. Underwater archaeology, like most aspects of education and culture, can never survive on a pure commercial basis.
Only a few sites can be investigated, while others are left untouched for the future. Leaving sites for the future is an excellent idea in theory. But in reality they risk being robbed by treasure hunters.

For more interesting topics related to archaeology, visit archaeology excavations.

Sir John Franklin search ship found

HMS Investigator was abandoned in 1853 after becoming trapped in ice while on its second voyage in search of the missing Franklin and his expedition.

Franklin and his entire crew were lost after setting sail for Northern Canada in 1845 during a fruitless attempt to find the Northwest Passage, a trade route between the Atlantic and Pacific through the Arctic Ocean.

The ship was discovered in shallow water in Mercy Bay in Canada's western Arctic, by researchers from Parks Canada this week.

The Investigator was one of a number of American and British ships sent to search for the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, which were lost during Franklin's ill-fated search for the Northwest Passage in 1845.

It was abandoned in ice in 1953 by Captain Robert McClure and his men, who spent three years trying to negotiate the final leg of the Northwest Passage but were continually thwarted by ice.

Low on supplies and food, the 60 men eventually left the ship and were later rescued by another Royal Navy search party, but Capt McClure is held to be the first European to discover the passage's western entrance.

The masts and rigging have been shorn off by ice and weather in the 157 years since it was lost, but the rest of the ship has been well preserved by the reezing Arctic waters.

Marc-Andre Bernier, Parks Canada's head of underwater archaeology, said: "The ship is standing upright in very good condition. It's standing in about 11 meters (36 feet) of water.

"This is definitely of the utmost importance. This is the ship that sailed the last leg of the Northwest Passage."

The Parks Canada team arrived at Mercy Bay on July 22 and after three days the ice had cleared enough that sonar equipment could be used.

The wreck was found within 15 minutes, having hardly moved from the spot where it was abandoned.

Mr Bernier said there are no plans to bring the wreck to the surface, and that the team hopes to use underwater video equipment to capture footage of the ship before using similar technology to find the Erebus and Terror.

Jim Prentice, the Canadian Environment Minister, said the British government had been alerted to the finding of the shipwreck and the bodies of three sailors, who are thought to have died from scurvy.

Source From Great Site : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/7917134/Sir-John-Franklin-search-ship-found.html

Marine archaeology lecture Thursday

The South Suburban Archaeological Society will host a free slide lecture program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Irwin Community Center, 18120 S. Highland Ave., Homewood.

Roger J. Barski, founder and director of the Nautical Archaeology Group, Great Lakes Region, will give a lecture titled "The Development and Use of Remote Sensing Techniques for Underwater Archaeology Surveys."

Barski will discuss how marine archaeologists and underwater explorers use specialized remote sensing equipment and techniques that allow them to penetrate the darkness and depths of the water to search for and map submerged sites, especially shipwrecks.

Barski also will discuss and show slides of his work.

The program is made possible in part by the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard H. Driehouse Foundation.

Source From Great Site : http://www.southtownstar.com/neighborhoodstar/homewood-flossmoor/2595914,081510HFdontmiss2.article

Shipwreck could yield the USS Scorpion from the War of 1812

A neoprene-clad diver slipped into the murky water of the Patuxent River near Upper Marlboro Wednesday to examine the wreck of a 19th-century ship that archaeologists and state officials hope to make a star attraction in Maryland's commemoration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

The sailing ship could be the USS Scorpion, part of a fleet known as the Chesapeake Flotilla that was designed to navigate the shallow waters of the Patuxent and harass the British, whose Royal Navy at the time was terrorizing towns from Havre de Grace to Norfolk.

The archaeology excavation is part of Maryland's effort to create a tourism cash cow from the bicentennial of a war whose biggest claim to fame is inspiring "The Star-Spangled Banner." Based in part on Virginia's experience with revenue generated by Civil War sites, bicentennial boosters estimate the 32 months of events planned to commemorate the War of 1812 could generate $1 billion in tourism spending.

"It's very much about economic development and cultural heritage tourism," said Bill Pencek, executive director of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

The site of the wreck that could be the Scorpion lies a couple of miles upstream from Pig Point, also known as Bristol Landing, just past where Route 4 crosses the river. Since late July, underwater archaeologists from the U.S. Navy, the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland Historical Trust have been working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, from a cluster of barges crammed with an excavator, a Port-o-Potty, a shipping container-cum-office and two large bins that filter water and sediment. Seven divers spend an hour or two at a time underwater with about a foot of visibility, carefully working through several yards of mud, silt and clay to what they believe is the hull of the vessel.

A couple of previously excavated artifacts indicate it might be the Scorpion: a grog cup with the initials C.W. that may have belonged to a cook who was transferred to the Scorpion, and a surgical kit that would likely have been on the ship. Researchers hope to find more definitive proof when they map the ship's dimensions.

The Scorpion was part of the Chesapeake Flotilla, which, under the command of Commodore Joshua Barney, battled the British in St. Leonard's Creek before retreating up the Patuxent, where the flotilla became trapped. Barney then destroyed his fleet to prevent the boats from falling into British hands. The British ultimately advanced on Washington, where they set fire to the president's mansion and the Capitol.

The wreck was first discovered by Donald Shomette, who has written several books about underwater archaeology in the Patuxent, and by Ralph Eshelman in the late 1970s. It was excavated in 1980, but they reburied it because they lacked the funds to fully excavate and conserve the ship.

The current team, led by Julie Schablitsky, chief archaeologist for the highway agency; Susan Langley, the state underwater archaeologist; and Robert Neyland, head of the Navy's Underwater Archaeology Branch in the Naval History and Heritage Command, faces similar constraints. Working with a budget of $200,000 cobbled together from different sources, it only has money to do limited underwater excavation. More than a million more would be required to dam off the site and excavate the vessel under dry conditions.

If the state and federal researchers can care up funds to turn the site into a dry archaeology digs, the archaeology excavation could become an attraction itself. Viewing platforms could be installed for tourists to see the ship as it emerges from the bottom of the Patuxent -- and for taxpayers to see their tax dollars at work.

The current team might also benefit from advances in conservation technology. The discovery of the wreck in 1980 contributed to the creation of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, which recently won a contract to conserve and reassemble the remains of a late 18th- or early 19th-century ship found at the construction site of the World Trade Center in New York.

If the vessel is confirmed to be the Scorpion, it could offer 21st-century tourists weary of present-day wars something other aspects of the War of 1812 can't: a heroic storyline.

As the British approached Washington from the Chesapeake, Shomette says, "this fleet was the only thing in their way."

Scientific Divers From The Florida Aquarium are Finding 10,000 Year Old Artifacts

Tampa, FL - Underwater Archaeologist John Gifford, PhD from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and scientific divers from The Florida Aquarium are slowly finding the pieces of a puzzle submerged 90-feet below the surface of Little Salt Spring in North Port, Florida for more than 10,000 years.

After three years of excavating about 5-percent of the ledge 90 feet below the surface of the spring, Dr. Gifford, discovered multiple “items of interest” and brought those items to the surface this morning amidst media from around the region.

What’s the significance of the possible 10,000-year-old artifacts? They’d be the oldest artifacts found this far south in Florida, for one. For another, the uniqueness of the spring (it has almost no dissolved oxygen) acts as a preservative for the pieces of wood, bone and other matter lying dormant for thousands of years.

“Our research has only begun to scratch the surface of what this site may reveal to us,” said Dr. John Gifford. “The anoxic (absence of oxygen) environment at the bottom of the spring does not allow microbes and bacteria to live, so decomposition of organic material deposited there thousands of years ago is greatly reduced. Wooden and other organic tools, as well as animals' soft tissues and bones, are preserved nearly intact in this unique environment.”

No terrestrial archaeology site can offer actual wood artifacts preserved in this way. And if that fact isn’t enough, there are multiple “items of interest” (possible artifacts to you and me) found in a small one square meter of the ledge. It begs the question: how much more archaeological material is hiding in these murky depths.

The team of scientific divers from the University of Miami and The Florida Aquarium are dedicated to finding out. That’s why The Florida Aquarium offered to fund the project this year to the tune of $12,000 when other funding didn’t materialize.

“Divers from The Florida Aquarium are working with UM scientists in the complex archaeology excavation of Little Salt Spring,” said Thom Stork, CEO and President of The Florida Aquarium, “We feel the this is a story very much worth telling. Our hope is to one day house an exhibit worthy of this fascinating project.”

Donated to the University of Miami in 1982, Little Salt Spring was first discovered to be an underwater archeological site in the late 1950s. For more than five decades, however, no excavation of the 90-foot ledge was done until partnering with The Florida Aquarium for training necessary to working extensive time periods at that depth.

“Funding for this project is almost more difficult to find than the artifacts themselves,” said Tom Wagner, Florida Aquarium Spokesperson and diver on the project. “This is an archeologist’s dream come true. Every time Dr. Gifford uncovers something interesting, there is something even more interesting under it.”

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice has awarded the University of Miami $250,000 toward expansion of research and educational facilities at the underwater archaeological and ecological preserve, Little Salt Spring. The funds are available as part of a matching donation program to the Spring.

Photo Caption: Underwater Archaeologist John Gifford, PhD from the University of Miami takes a closer look at an "item of interest" that dates back to 10,000 years ago. This piece, along with others, were brought to the surface of Little Last Spring in North Port, Florida on Thursday, August 19.

Source From Great Site : http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-4082-Scientific_Divers_From_The_Florida_Aquarium_are_Finding_10,000_Year_Old_Artifacts

ATLAS OF CREATION: FOSSIL SPECIMENS DISCOVERED IN THE USA

Maritime Archaeology:
Dating back to the Eocene Period (54 to 37 million years ago), the Green River fossil beds are one of the most important in the United States of America. The first known excavations in the region took place in the 1850s. In 1856, the archaeologist Dr. John Evans announced the fish fossils he had collected in the region to the scientific world, and the Green River Formation thus entered the scientific literature.

The Green River is actually a tributary of the Colorado River. The Green River Formation itself is a mountain-lake basin consisting of an area spread over three separate states. Part of it lies to the east of the Uinta Mountains in northwest Colorado, and a wider part lies in southwest Wyoming.

Green River's rock structure is made up of different strata, whose contents vary the deeper down one goes. Fossil distribution also varies. To date, fossils belonging to some 60 separate vertebrate groups have been found in digs in Green River and countless invertebrate fossils.

Ohio is a state with well-known fossil fields. Geological research has shown that some 510 million years ago, Ohio lay to the south of Ecuador. As the continents drifted and North America moved towards its present position, Ohio found itself underwater several times. That explains why a large number of fossils dating back to the Palaeozoic (543 to 251 million years ago) have been discovered in Ohio.

Another state with rich fossil beds is Utah. A great variety of fossils, from invertebrates to different marine organisms and from reptiles to mammals, has been unearthed in Utah. Microscopic fossils recently discovered in the Uinta Mountains have revealed that there are fossil beds in Utah dating to the Cambrian Period.

As is the case with fossils discovered in other regions of the world, all of them once again demonstrate that there is no difference between modern-day trout, skate, dragonflies, flies, spiders, crabs and turtles and similar creatures that lived millions of years ago. Living things have undergone no change in the intervening hundreds of millions of years—in other words, they did not undergo evolution. The fossil records refute evolution and once again confirm the fact of creation.

ECU Maritime Archaeology Graduate students survey of the "Oriental"

ECU Maritime Studies Graduate students have been mapping and documenting the Oriental, a Civil War Federal transport vessel that ran aground and sunk in the waters off Pea Island in 1862. Locally known as the "boiler wreck", the engine of the Oriental can been seen above water some 400 yards off the beach of Pea Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Sinking of the TITANIC in Ship Simulator 2008

The history of Titanic has enthralled the world quite unlike any other shipwreck known to man. A number of books, articles and movies have been made detailed the tragedy of the RMS Titanic. Both the 1950's version of the Titanic's sinking, "A Night to Remember' and the more recent film have been very popular. James Cameron's 1997 box office hit"Titanic" was so popular with viewers that it succeeded in breaking a number of box office sales records.

The public seems incapable of forgetting the tragic history of the Titanic. Numerous myths and legends have developed over the years since the ship sank on April 15, 1912. Some of the myths are true, and others have simply been derived from the imagination of the numerous people who have become somewhat obsessed with the history of Titanic. In part, some of the tales regarding Titanic history can be contributed to the tales spun by the 705 survivors. It has been speculated that more than one of the survivors 'embellished' their personal story. The 'unsinkable' Molly Brown is just one of the surviving passengers who are suspected of having added more than a little flair to their tale.

When the names of the numerous famous first class passengers who were lost were revealed, the world was astounded that so many notable figures could perish in a single day. Conversely, immigrants who survived the sinking of the ship are now known worldwide for their part in the tragic history of Titanic. Poor and confined to the steerage of the ship, these individuals were only seeking a better life for themselves and their families. Instead however they earned an immortal place in Titanic history.

Titanic history buffs are quite staunch in their dedication to preserving the truth regarding the history of the ship Titanic. When 'Titanic' was released in December of 1997 moviegoers flocked to the theaters to see the beauty and the tragedy of the fateful ship revealed on the big screen. A number of individuals who consider themselves experts on the history of Titanic were less than impressed with the number of errors contained within the film. Despite James Cameron's dedication to filming the most accurate version of the Titanic accident history possible, the movie never the less contained mistakes. Some of these mistakes had to be included in the movie to insure the viewer's suspense and enjoyment in the film. Others however were simply matters that had been overlooked during the making of the movie.

The history of Titanic continues to be one of the most popular topics in the world. An insatiable thirst for information about the Titanic prompted researchers to search for the exact location of the wreckage site for a number of years. When the Titanic's wreckage was finally discovered in 1985, the world got its first look at the ship in more than sixty years.

The tragic sinking of the Titanic and history of both those who survived and were lost, will forever be remembered with nostalgia and sadness.

Underwater Underground - Museum Station

A video artwork in a subterranean passageway into Museum Station in Sydney. This runs beneath a former Victorian-era Grand Emporium called Mark Foy's, since converted to law courts and renamed the Downing Centre.

The tiled pedestrian tunnels that run to and from the station from different directions are another of my favourite spots in the City of Sydney, along with Circular Quay Station.

Underwater Archaeological Museum In Alexandria

Archaeological treasures in Alexandria bay will be exhibited in a futuristic underwater museum, facing the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in the heart of the antique city.


Museum is a place devoted to the acquisition and conservation of objects having historical or artistic significance Though we are not special organi. This page acts as a comprehensive resource guide that provides information about the world's renowned museums and their specialty.


Maritime archaeology can be divided in a three-tier hierarchy, of which the first tier consists of the archaeology of shipwrecks and wreck sites. In this discipline the wrecking process itself is studied: how does a ship break up, how does a ship float to the bottom, and how do the remains of both ship and cargo decay over time?

Underwater Archaeology is that branch of the regulation and science of Archaeology that is practiced under water, either by archaeologists outfitted with breathing equipment or by the remote control of machines. Strictly, this means archaeology under water, which is the main discipline of maritime archaeology Underwater Archaeology.

Underwater archaeology is considered as a branch of maritime archaeology (the archaeology of aquatic vessels and associated infrastructure), though not exclusively: underwater excavation techniques and methodology can also be applied in the study of sunken settlement and committal sites, for instance. underwater or maritime archaeology does not essentially deal with wrecks, even if that is the part scuba divers more often deal with.

Maritime Archaeology at UWF

Discussion of current research in Maritime Archaelogy highlighting exacavation of various 16th century Spanish shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay.

Maritime archaeology has two important advantages over land archaeology. First the remains of ships and cargoes, even organic materials, are sometimes better preserved under water or in bottom sediments. The second advantage lies in the fact that until recently, shipwrecks were usually beyond the reach of human intervention or salvage, thereby creating perfect time capsules.

Nautical Archaeology

The birth of Underwater Archaeology, 1960-1962, shows the pioneers of nautical archaeology as they develop methods of excavating ancient shipwrecks on the seabed. Among them are George Bass, Claude Duthuit, Frederick van Doorninck, Susan Womer Katzev, Ann Bass, and David Owen, who later founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) which now excavates around the world. Learn more about INA's research in George Bass's book Beneath the Seven Seas.

Maritime archaeology is a discipline that studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes and human remains. One speciality is underwater archaeology , which studies the past through any submerged remains. An other specialty within maritime archaeology is nautical archaeology, which studies vessel construction and use.

The Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeology Lab Artifacts

The Naval History and Heritage Command Underwater Archaeology Lab possesses more than 9,000 precious artifacts. Currently more than 7,000 of them are on loan to other museums around the world. The lab takes great strides to restore once lost, but never forgotten pieces from history.

Underwater Archaeological Museum In Alexandria

Archaeological treasures in Alexandria bay will be exhibited in a futuristic underwater museum, facing the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, in the heart of the antique city.

Museum is a place devoted to the acquisition and conservation of objects having historical or artistic significance Though we are not special organi.

This page acts as a comprehensive resource guide that provides information about the world's renowned museums and their specialty. You can browse through the history and specialty of museums categorized alphabetically or based on the country located using the link Archaeological Museums By Country.

[Read more..]

Institute of Maritime History archaeological survey of U-1105 wreck

Institute of Maritime History underwater archaeology August 2009 field school survey of the U-1105 wreck in the Potomac River off Piney Point. This video was taken in broad daylight, but at depth it looks like a night dive. The zero visibility and strong currents are pretty typical of Potomac River diving.

Maritime archaeology Pt3 and Goldrush voyages

Underwater archaeology is considered as a branch of maritime archaeology (the archaeology of aquatic vessels and associated infrastructure), though not exclusively: underwater excavation techniques and methodology can also be applied in the study of sunken settlement and committal sites, for instance. underwater or maritime archaeology does not essentially deal with wrecks, even if that is the part scuba divers more often deal with.


Maritime archaeology has two important advantages over land archaeology. First the remains of ships and cargoes, even organic materials, are sometimes better preserved under water or in bottom sediments. The second advantage lies in the fact that until recently, shipwrecks were usually beyond the reach of human intervention or salvage, thereby creating perfect time capsules.

Underwater Archaeology: Mapping

This brief video from the Museum of Underwater Archaeology's Childrens' Exhibit demonstrates how archaeologists map objects underwater.


Underwater Archaeology is that branch of the regulation and science of Archaeology that is practiced under water, either by archaeologists outfitted with breathing equipment or by the remote control of machines. Strictly, this means archaeology under water, which is the main discipline of maritime archaeology

Maritime Archaeology at UWF

Discussion of current research in Maritime Archaelogy highlighting exacavation of various 16th century Spanish shipwrecks in Pensacola Bay.

Maritime archaeology is a discipline that studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes and human remains. One speciality is underwater archaeology , which studies the past through any submerged remains. An other specialty within maritime archaeology is nautical archaeology, which studies vessel construction and use.

[Read More..]

What is Maritime Archaeology?

Maritime archaeology is a discipline that studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes and human remains. One speciality is underwater archaeology , which studies the past through any submerged remains. An other specialty within maritime archaeology is nautical archaeology, which studies vessel construction and use.


Maritime archaeology has two important advantages over land archaeology. First the remains of ships and cargoes, even organic materials, are sometimes better preserved under water or in bottom sediments. The second advantage lies in the fact that until recently, shipwrecks were usually beyond the reach of human intervention or salvage, thereby creating perfect time capsules.


Chuck Meide from the Lighthouse Archaeology Maritime Program discusses doing work underwater.

[Read full articles]

Maritime Archaeology - Marlon Pestana

I've been in the open seas for a few days working with maritime archaeology. And I bringo for you some footages showing how it works when we do science with rainy day and no visibility. Yes, that's right archaeologist has to be there to protect our brazilian cost underwater heritage. I'm thankfull of a Hang Jun crew and their captain.

Maritime Archaeology

Archaeological material in the sea or in other underwater environments is typically subject to different factors than artifacts on land. However, as with land archaeology what survives to be investigated by modern archaeologists is a tiny fraction of the material originally deposited. The issue in maritime archaeology is that despite all the material that is lost, there are occasional rare examples of substantial survival, from which a great deal can be learned.


There are those in the archaeology community who see maritime archaeology as a separate discipline with its own concerns and requiring the specialised skills of the underwater archaeologist. Others value an integrated approach, stressing that nautical activity has economic and social links to communities on land.