|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Mankind has plied the sea for tens of thousands of years, leaving in its path a wealth of information hidden beneath the waves. Maritime archaeology is dedicated to studying and understanding these underwater treasures, as well as related maritime remains on land. In the dynamic environment of the sea, these archaeological sites are often badly damaged. Careful archaeological investigation and high-tech equipment can decipher a bygone way of life from the remains of hulls, fragments of rope and sail and personal possessions.
The techniques used are basically the same as on land: careful recording and surveying of exposed remains, and excavation. Surveying is very important because how and where the remains lie is vital to understanding the site. Using tape measures and grids, a record can be built up without disturbing the wreck; or if a site is then excavated, the survey retains the evidence of what the wreck originally looked like.
Although excavation can reveal a lot of information about a wreck, this has to be weighed against the better protection of leaving it undisturbed on the seabed. Removing the silt that has protected the site for many years exposes it to the destructive forces of the sea and micro-organisms.
Where excavation is the only way to find out essential information, this is carried out using an airlift, which sucks up the silt like a hoover. Any exposed and vulnerable artefacts are lifted to the surface for conservation.
Whole wrecks are raised rarely, usually for the purposes of public exhibition. The most notable are the Tudor warship Mary Rose in Portsmouth and the Swedish warship Vasa in Stockholm, Sweden.
Find out more about maritime archaeology
^ Top
|
|
|
