The Human-Altered Lithic Detection (HALD) Method: The Latest Innovation in Submerged Precontact Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Perspectives on the Future, and the Past, of Underwater Archaeology in the Cultural Resource Management Industry" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Offshore wind is increasingly important in reducing carbon footprints and improving energy security. Improving the industry’s capabilities in cultural preservation is critical for renewable energy development. The human-altered lithic detection (HALD) method of mapping submerged archaeological sites has been verified by various research groups in Europe, the Middle East, and the USA. HALD utilizes current geophysical equipment to detect lithic artifacts present at underwater precontact sites. The HALD’s ability to detect responses from knapped lithic artifacts is significantly better at identifying precontact sites underwater than previously possible. This approach will significantly improve the efficiency of identifying submerged precontact sites compared to the topographically-based modeling approaches employed today. Topographic/bathymetric prediction models detect less than 1% of the sites that would be present in an equivalent land survey. Here we will discuss the latest advancements, results of field studies, and the potential for this method to revolutionize underwater cultural resource management.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Perspectives on the Future, and the Past, of Underwater Archaeology in the Cultural Resource Management Industry   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology