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Maritime archaeology
Maritime
archaeology is a discipline that studies human
interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through
the study of vessels, shore side facilities, cargoes
and human remains. One speciality is underwater
archaeology, which studies the past
through any submerged remains. An other specialty
within maritime archaeology is nautical archaeology,
which studies vessel construction and use.
Maritime archaeology can be divided in a three-tier
hierarchy, of which the first tier consists of
the archaeology of shipwrecks and wreck sites.
In this discipline the wrecking process itself
is studied: how does a ship break up, how does
a ship float to the bottom, and how do the remains
of both ship and cargo decay over time?
The second tier studies the ship as a machine,
both in itself and in a military or economic system.
The third tier consists of the archaeology of
maritime cultures, in which nautical technology,
naval warfare, trade and shipboard societies are
studied.
Maritime archaeology has two important advantages
over land archaeology. First the remains of ships
and cargoes, even organic materials, are sometimes
better preserved under water or in bottom sediments.
The second advantage lies in the fact that until
recently, shipwrecks were usually beyond the reach
of human intervention or salvage, thereby creating
perfect time capsules.
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