Latest Results for Journal of Maritime Archaeology
Erratum to: A Case Study in Balancing Protection, Interpretation, and Public Access in the Treasure Hunting Capital of the World: The Management of the HMS Fowey Shipwreck in Biscayne National Park
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
The Maritime Archaeology of Alum Bay: Two Shipwrecks on the North-West Coast of the Isle of Wight, England (The Maritime Archaeology Trust, British Archaeological Reports, British Series, BAR Series 608, Monograph Series No. 2)
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Auer & Maarleveld (eds): The Gresham Ship Project, Volume 1
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Can Artificial Reef Wrecks Reduce Diver Impacts on Shipwrecks? The Management Dimension
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Managers have been advocating the use of artificial reef wrecks to diversify the experiences of recreational divers and thereby reduce the well-known impact on reefs. To examine whether artificial reef wrecks can serve as substitutes for historic shipwrecks this paper discusses the attitude of Australian divers to wreck diving in general and to artificial reef wrecks in particular. While the overwhelming majority of divers surveyed accepted the need for control, the experienced divers were less interested in artificial reef wrecks and less prepared to tolerate controls over their perceived freedom to dive wrecks. We present projections that show that this legacy issue will have largely resolved itself by 2025 due to attrition and natural ageing.A Comparison Between Structure from Motion and Direct Survey Methodologies on the Warwick
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Structure from Motion, the process of turning two-dimensional digital images into a three-dimensional digital model, is recognized as an emerging method in archaeological research. While some of the previous studies of Structure from Motion applied to underwater projects showed promise as an information rich and affordable survey method, the issue of accuracy remains. This study examined the efficacy of this new technology as a post-processing analytical tool on the early seventeenth-century shipwreck site, Warwick, from Bermuda. Using original digital images from the archaeological excavations, Structure from Motion was tested for suitability and accuracy, and the results compared against the Direct Survey Method. The outcome was an interdisciplinary effort that allowed for a better understanding of the process and the resulting limitations of Structure from Motion for underwater surveys and excavations.Intertidal Fish Traps from Ireland: Some Recent Discoveries in Lough Swilly, Co. Donegal
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Fish traps are one of the most widespread and enduring features of the maritime landscape. Recent research in Ireland has identified a great number of traps, most of which date from the early to late medieval periods. This paper presents the findings of a recent survey of Lough Swilly in north-western Ireland where a series of fish traps offers new insights into the survival, diversity and role of these sites in the post-medieval period.A Case Study in Balancing Protection, Interpretation, and Public Access in the Treasure Hunting Capital of the World: The Management of the HMS Fowey Shipwreck in Biscayne National Park
2015-08-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
The management of the HMS Fowey shipwreck site in Biscayne National Park is a unique case study in the development of an interpretation and outreach program for the sensitive and now inaccessible site. Decades of restricted access and recent stabilization activities completed at the site have effectively closed archaeological access to it for the foreseeable future. The National Park Service did not come lightly to the decision to physically remove access the site. However, after several decades of monitoring significant loss, due to both erosion and looting, few options remained. This article utilizes the management of HMS Fowey as a case study in the development and modification of an interpretation and outreach program that can be applied to resources in similar peril and specifically to those located within the Florida Keys. Following a discussion of the archaeological history of the wreck site and the difficulties of regulating public access to HMS Fowey, this article addresses some of the difficulties associated with interpreting a closed and inaccessible archaeological site while detailing the Park’s attempts to balance the protection, interpretation, and public access to sensitive archaeological sites in what could be described as the treasure hunting capital of the world.Submerged Prehistory: A Current Review
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Looking Towards the Horizon: A Decade on…
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Nailing Colours to the Mast
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Critique of Practical Archaeology: Underwater Cultural Heritage and Best Practices
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
The international development of the underwater archaeology and underwater cultural heritage (UCH) management disciplines has witnessed a progressive buildup of the disciplinary debate. From an initial methodological focus, still active and necessary, the two interconnected disciplines have moved toward topics and aspects external, but complementary, to the disciplines themselves which are tied together in mutual exchange. Legal, economic, social, cultural (stricto sensu), and psychological aspects all find their expression in strategies quintessential, especially, to the management of UCH. The discipline’s socio-cultural wherewithal has been internationally recognized, analyzed, evaluated, and exploited in the planning of activities directed toward UCH management. In Italy, however, a lack of a coherent planning has emerged which does not take into account the various aspects composing a productive program for the management of UCH, both at the regional and national levels. Considering the issue in Italy, this contribution will offer an overview of the Sardinian perspective, offering some considerations toward envisaging an achievable, structured program for the management of underwater cultural resources within a specific regional panorama.Lodging in a Fluitship : The Material Setting of Everyday Life on Board Anna Maria of 1694
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Historical archaeology may be characterised by an intricate relationship between written sources and material remains. In research focusing on shipwrecks, this often results in descriptions of the events associated with one particular ship. These are narratives written from a historical horizon, where written sources provide the explanation to material remains. The aim of this paper is to show that a combination of material remains and written sources may be used as a departure point for a discussion on social conditions on board merchant ships in a more general sense. The case used is the fluit or fluitship Anna Maria, launched in 1694 and which foundered in Dalarö harbour, Sweden, in 1709. The site is ideal for such a study partly as it has been surveyed archaeologically on several occasions since the 1960s and most recently in 2010, and partly because historical research has been carried out on the related written accounts. Taken together, this material enables a unique opportunity to reconstruct and study the everyday environment on board a large fluitship.Early Maritime Activity on the Dead Sea: Bitumen Harvesting and the Possible Use of Reed Watercraft
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Most studies of ancient maritime activity on the Dead Sea focus on the Hellenistic to the Early Byzantine periods, for which a rich body of archaeological and historic data exists. However, finds of Dead Sea bitumen at distant prehistoric sites and an anchor dating to the seventh century BC indicate that maritime activity on the lake preceded the Greek and Roman periods, and raise questions regarding this activity’s origins and nature. By linking the exploitation of Dead Sea bitumen with the use of watercraft, and through consideration of a broader early maritime record of the ancient Near East, this study pushes back the dating of this activity on the lake and suggests the nature of its watercraft.Memorialization, Graffiti and Artifact Movement: A Case Study of Cultural Impacts on WWII Underwater Cultural Heritage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
2015-04-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Cultural tourism in the Pacific has always offered an underwater option for those who snorkel or are certified to dive. In addition to the coral reefs and marine life, World War II (WWII) shipwrecks, aircraft wrecks and other submerged vehicles draw hundreds of tourists to the Pacific each year. While it is encouraging that so many are interested in the cultural heritage of battlefields, these same visitors can cause considerable amounts of damage. This paper presents a case study of cultural impacts on submerged WWII sites in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) where diving heritage tourism is a growing industry. Cultural impacts in the CNMI include a diverse range of direct and indirect impacts including vandalism, the act of memorialization, looting and collecting souvenirs, anchor and mooring damage, and moving artifacts. What is often viewed as detrimental cultural impacts by archaeologists and managers can also be examined as behavior that reflects various stakeholders’ values and attitudes towards heritage sites. As such, these behaviors can and should be examined and considered concurrently during research and management discussions.Changing Water Depths in the Eastern Part of Sydney Harbour due to Human Impacts
2014-12-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Sydney Harbour has been significantly modified by human impacts from the start of the European settlement in 1788. Land clearing has accelerated soil erosion, resulting in increased sedimentation. Dredging has deepened many areas to accommodate ever-larger ships. In this paper a GIS method is used to map bathymetric changes in the eastern part of the harbour from 1903 to more recently. Dredged areas are apparent in the entrance and in wharfage areas, while sedimentation is most marked around the deepest section, which is well inside the harbour itself. In this latter region sediment has built up considerably, to over 3 m in some locations, and ship-induced motions appear to have had an impact. Despite these changes the overall depth of the eastern part of the harbour has changed little. This work is of interest to maritime archaeologists because it brings out the types of processes by which sediments can accumulate and be removed thus altering a harbour’s seabed and potentially burying, exposing or erasing archaeological sites and artefacts.Thirty Years of Managing the Wreck of the Historic Australian Colonial-Built Schooner Clarence (1841–1850): From Ineffective to Pro-active Management
2014-12-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Since its discovery in the early 1980s, the nineteenth-century Australian colonial-built schooner Clarence has undergone more extensive research and investigation than any other historic vessel located within Victoria’s jurisdictional waters. Although early managerial approaches were well intentioned, those in-situ preservation methods employed proved ineffective and in some circumstances had an adverse effect, resulting in a significant loss of the archaeological integrity in a short 30-year period. As such, this paper outlines the knowledge gained due to both managerial successes and failures over the last 30 years, discusses the long-term applications of the applied methodologies and highlights the importance of environmental assessments, ongoing active management and the application of pro-active in-situ preservation methods.Evaluation of Structure from Motion Software to Create 3D Models of Late Nineteenth Century Great Lakes Shipwrecks Using Archived Diver-Acquired Video Surveys
2014-12-01 02:00:00 AM
Abstract
Here we demonstrate the ability to use archived video surveys to create photorealistic 3D models of submerged archeological sites. We created 3D models of two nineteenth century Great Lakes shipwrecks using diver-acquired video surveys and Structure from Motion (SfM) software. Models were georeferenced using archived hand survey data. Comparison of hand survey measurements and digital measurements made using the models demonstrate that spatial analysis produces results with reasonable accuracy when wreck maps are available. Error associated with digital measurements displayed an inverse relationship to object size. Measurement error ranged from a maximum of 18 % (on 0.37 m object) and a minimum of 0.56 % (on a 4.21 m object). Our results demonstrate SfM can generate models of large maritime archaeological sites that for research, education and outreach purposes. Where site maps are available, these 3D models can be georeferenced to allow additional spatial analysis long after on-site data collection.An Early Historic Assemblage Offshore of Godawaya, Sri Lanka: Evidence for Early Regional Seafaring in South Asia
2014-06-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Investigations in 2010 by an international team of maritime archaeologists yielded a concentration of artefacts identified here by the authors as the remains of a shipwreck off the southern coastal village of Godawaya, Sri Lanka. The major findings from this site include many quern stones, various types of ceramics, and glass ingots. The comparative study of the artefacts from the Godawaya site and terrestrial sites of Sri Lanka and India suggest that the ship might have originated from the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. Based on analysis of the artefacts and radiocarbon dating of wood fragments from the site, a broad date of 2nd BCE to 2nd centuries CE is assigned to the assemblage, placing it within the early historical period. Thus, this is the earliest known and as-yet investigated shipwreck in South Asia. The survey findings are discussed and the assemblage is contextualised within the present lack of evidence for early vessels and seafaring in the region.Digital Photogrammetry for Documentation of Maritime Heritage
2014-06-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Documentation of maritime heritage is essential for its protection, and for reference in restoration and renovation processes. These functions become problematic in the case of historical ships and boats that lack lines drawings. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure for creation of lines drawings based on the shape analysis of surviving historical boats or their small-scale models with the help of reverse engineering (RE) techniques. The paper describes how digital photogrammetry and the iterative method were used to analyze the shape of three historical boats: Tomahawk, Refola and Nada. The application of the proposed procedure produced the lines drawings of the boats as its result. The accuracy of the 3D CAD model obtained with the photogrammetric technique was verified by comparing it against a more accurate 3D model produced with the help of a RE laser scanner. The examination of the resulting lines drawings proves that the digital photogrammetry process and the proposed iterative method are adequate tools for developing lines plans of boat models. The research offers the methodological basis for the creation of an archive of lines drawings of historical boats. Such an archive would provide reference for philologically correct restorations, and permit definition and classification of distinctive elements of various types of historical boats, particularly those produced in the Campania Region.Deep-Water Shipwreck Initial Site Formation: The Equation of Site Distribution
2014-06-01 03:00:00 AM
Abstract
Deep-water shipwrecks and associated debris often sit on the bottom with relatively little disturbance, except for the natural bio-chemical deterioration. The distribution of shipwreck material can often be calculated mathematically as a function of heading, speed, time, and water depth. The Equation of Site Distribution is a method aimed to better understand deep-water site formation and the wrecking events themselves. With the use of a few relatively simple formulas, key elements of a site can be discovered, as well as greater insight of the overall wrecking event achieved.
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