Marine Archeology – What Lies Beneath?

What do Marine Archeologists study?

• The remains of shipwrecks, which can help reconstruct a picture of the past• Ancient coastal civilizations that have slipped into the ocean overtime• Other submerged sites of cultural or historic interest

Marine Archeologist’s study:

• Locating a shipwreck site is one of the hardest parts– Shipwrecks are usually buried under many layers of sediment

and are not easily recognized underwater.

• Raising money to conduct expeditions• Uncovering the history of the shipwrecks

– Which ship is it?

– Are we sure?

– What’s its story?

Challenges of a Marine Archeologist’s Job

Once a shipwreck is located, the long process of mapping (and sometimes excavating) begins.

Mapping the Site

Photo by: Don A. Frey

Photo by: Christian Petron / Diaf

What types of tools do Marine Archeologists use?

Tools of the Trade - Low Tech

•If a shipwreck is located in less than 200 ft of water, SCUBA can be used to survey the site. SCUBA is one of the simpler tools. •Low Tech Tools

StringMeasuring tapesProtractor

Sketch from: Looking Inside Sunken Treasure, by Ron Schultz.

Tools of the Trade - High TechSometimes high-tech tools are used such as:

Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV)

Side Scan Sonar

Multi-BeamPhoto: Ocean Technology Foundation

Artifacts are sometimes removed from a wreck site. Other times they are left undisturbed as

submerged cultural resources.

Photo by: Eric Brissaud

What is this?

Photo by: Paul Mardikian, Archeolyse International

Any guesses?

An x-ray showed that it was actually a gun!

Photo by: Paul Mardikian, Archeolyse International

Photo by: Paul Mardikian, Archeolyse International

YOU can be a Marine Archeologist!• College degree is necessary, sometimes

a Master’s or PhD.• Concentration in History is important• Other related careers :

– Remotely Operated Vehicle technician

– Diver– Educator– Artist– Historian– Videographer– Photographer– Journalist/Science Writer