3D Scanning Sonar: A discussion of its applications and limitations based on recent tests by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Summary

Over the last two summers the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) has had the opportunity to deploy a 3D Scanning Sonar unit in its archaeological fieldwork. This emerging technology offers many advantages for the assessment and study of submerged cultural resources including ease of deployment and the ability to operate well in low-visibility situations. In 2012 the LCMM employed the sonar unit in a detailed examination of the Sloop Island Canal Boat. This vessel had been documented with ‘traditional’ underwater techniques in the past allowing for an assessment of the effectiveness of the sonar unit in recording the size and shape of wrecked vessels. In 2013 the scanning sonar was used in the initial documentation of a wreck cluster at the southern end of Lake Champlain. This paper will look at the results of these surveys and discuss the strengths and weakness of this technology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• What’s in the Toolbox? A Critical Look at Remote Sensing and Recording Systems Used for Underwater Archaeology

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-56,05