Engaging the Public: Involving People Underwater, On Land, and Online in Maritime Archaeology

DOCUMENT Citation Only Thomas F. Beasley.

Underwater Archaeology started soon after scuba diving began in the early 1950s. For about the next 20 years, divers began to discover, document and analyze shipwrecks. In the early 1970s, those divers began to form groups to work on larger projects and to learn about archaeology. At about the same time, archaeolgy at universities began to offer courses and the discipline of underwater archaeolgy took root. Some of the avocational groups such as the Nautical Archaelogy Society and the Underwater...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Peter B. Campbell.

The Internet is a public outreach tool and integral part of developing research collaborations. Unfortunately, the Internet is inundated with pseudo-archaeology and treasure hunters discussing underwater cultural heritage. These websites turn up alongside professional websites in search engine results, making it difficult to locate reliable information. Traditionally, archaeologists have built websites independently of each other with the result of many professional websites having poor search...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Nathaniel Howe.

In the Pacific Northwest there is still significant overlap between archaeological material and extant cultural niches.  This overlap enables ethnography and living history to privide critical insight.  For nautical archaeologists, the enigmatic details of early west coast ship construction may be explained by the handful of shipwrights who still work on the region's commercial wooden fishing fleet today.  These tradesmen, however, are the last of their kind.  The wooden fleet is dwindling and...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Andrew P Roberts.

The Scottish Atlantic Maritime Past: Heritage, Investigation, Research and Education (SAMPHIRE) Project is a collaborative effort between professional archaeologists and local communities in western Scotland to identify and document maritime archaeological resources. This paper presents the results of the first two years of the ongoing project and outlines plans for the final year and evaluates the effectiveness and potential legacy of the project.

DOCUMENT Citation Only Jacques F. Marc.

One of the challenges for avocational U/W archaeology groups is finding an appropriate role in the professional archaeology community. The Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia (UASBC) tried its hand at many underwater archaeology activities early in its history including underwater excavations, which was exciting but proved too costly and time consuming.  The UASBC recognized early on, that in order to manage the submerged cultural resources of BC, the provincial Archaeology...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Mike W. Williams. Mallory R. Haas.

The wreck of the SS James Eagan Layne (JEL) has been a diving site since 1954, due to her masts still visible above the water. She is known to be the most dived wreck in the UK and was subject to early salvaging from divers who thought it fair game. Which is a frame of thinking in British diving culture then and today. Plymouth, the location of the JEL is the birthplace of South West diving at Fort Bovisand, and as such the SHIPS Project, a non-governmental organization started the Liberty 70...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Michelle M. Damian.

This year, the Museum of Underwater Archaeology (MUA) enters its second decade as a medium for online dissemination of information about maritime archaeology projects at the professional, student, and avocational levels. This paper will highlight the next steps of the MUA as we reach beyond the traditional confines of museum exhibits and actively work to promote endeavors that transcend geographical and disciplinary boundaries.  Recent innovations include project centers that focus on multiple...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Della A Scott-Ireton. Jeffrey T. Moates.

Public efforts to support preservation of Florida’s historic shipwrecks began in earnest in the late 1980s with the development of the state’s Underwater Archaeological Preserve system. As part of the process, local sport divers received training to assist with recording and monitoring these historic wrecks. The success of this program led to the development of the Submerged Sites Education & Archaeological Stewardship (SSEAS) program targeted to sport divers, and the Heritage Awareness Diving...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Calvin Mires.

Off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks are the remains of ships spanning hundreds of years of history, architecture, technology, industry, and maritime culture.  Potentially more than 2,000 ships have been lost in "The Graveyard of the Atlantic" due to a combination of natural and human factors.  These shipwrecks are tangible artifacts to the past and constitute important archaeological resources.  They also serve as dramatic links to North Carolina’s historic maritime heritage, helping...