Journal of Maritime Archaeology最新文献

Underwater excavations require an immense amount of logistics and have inherent time limitations. Underwater challenges such as nitrogen toxicity, underwater color change, and dive time limits increase with working depths, affecting the interpretation of archaeological contexts. Thus, underwater excavations involve methods and approaches to extract the maximum information from small areas while providing a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological record. Here, we present the benefits of using an on-site laboratory comprising a microscope, binocular microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and blue light inspection device. Three case studies are presented, focusing on the identification of stratigraphic boundaries, as well as the preservation and identification of archaeological materials. The results show a complex stratigraphic sequence containing seven layers divided into four mineralogical units: (1) Calcite, (2) Calcite and aragonite, (3) Aragonite, and (4) Dolomite. Additionally, the use of an on-site laboratory is effective in preventing the misidentification of archaeological materials, which could affect the final interpretation of the archaeological site (e.g., glass, lead, bone), and enabling the identification of materials invisible to the naked eye, such as opaline phytoliths. In the case of the Antikythera shipwreck, the on-site laboratory facilitated the examination of stratigraphy and quality of the archaeological context while streamlining excavation practices and documentation. Furthermore, the on-site laboratory allowed for the assessment of material preservation and provide crucial insights to inform post-excavation treatments and analysis of artifacts.

This article focuses on the Maritime Historical Cultural Heritage (herein after MHCH) of Puerto Madryn. This city, located in Argentinean Patagonia, on the coast of the Nuevo Gulf, is a natural harbor with a rich history of seafaring. Since the 2000s, Argentina’s Underwater Archaeology Program of the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought (herein after PPROAS-INAPL), has been dedicated to the research and management of archaeological shipwreck sites located on the city’s foreshore, in the Nuevo Gulf, and other locations outside the city limits. In this article, the results of the studies carried out between 2018 and 2024 are presented. The primary aim was to broaden the knowledge of the MHCH of Puerto Madryn, focusing on shipwrecks. The specific objectives include classifying and characterizing the MHCH in a systematic manner, identifying the stakeholders’ interests in this heritage, understanding the various values assigned to the shipwrecks and the threats to their preservation. Based on the information gathered, a set of proposals for heritage activation oriented towards the enjoyment, interpretation and conservation of the MHCH is presented. This approach is innovative in South America for the topic under study.

The Early and Middle Neolithic (3500–2300 [Before Current Era] BCE) Pitted Ware Culture (PWC) was a critical component of the historical trajectory of Scandinavia’s maritime history. The hunter-gatherer societies of the PWC were highly adapted to maritime environments, and they fished, hunted, travelled, and traded across great distances over water. Exactly what boat types they used, however, is still an open question. Understanding the maritime technologies used by the PWC is a critical research area as they had an important impact on subsequent maritime adaptations in Scandinavian prehistory. Unfortunately, finding intact boats from Neolithic contexts is extremely difficult. Here, we present indirect evidence for the use of skin boats by PWC people as a first step towards building a dialog on the types of boats that would have been used during this period. We argue that multiple lines of evidence suggest that skin boats were widely used for every-day activities and long-distance voyages by PWC peoples and will discuss the implications of possible complex boat use by Neolithic peoples for our understanding of early Scandinavian maritime societies.

This article critically reviews four decades of development of maritime and underwater archaeology in India (MUAI). Established in 1981, the first Marine Archaeology Centre at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—National Institute of Oceanography in Goa, India, has conducted a series of maritime and underwater investigations. The country has also attracted international collaborations mainly focused on maritime ethnographic studies. As such, the discipline has seen steady growth, but its progress unfortunately remains slow and is struggling to keep pace with the developments happening within the discipline globally. A significant setback was in 2015 when the Underwater Archaeology Wing (UAW) of the Archaeological Survey of India was defunct. Furthermore, India is not a signatory to the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. This raises the question—what does the future hold for the MUAI? The government’s plan to establish the country’s first National Maritime Museum to display maritime past and its intention to revive the UAW to boost research indicates some optimism towards the survival of the field. Nonetheless, there exists gaps in research approaches and methodologies adopted so far and problems and challenges faced by the discipline that are hindering its growth. Along with discussing the aforementioned issues, this paper concludes with prospects for the future of MUAI.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of three bronze ring fragments with distinct corrosion patterns from the Nanhai No.1 shipwreck, employing optical microscopy, SEM–EDS, µ-RS, and µ-EDXRF techniques. The results exhibit that each bronze ring fragment displays unique corrosion characteristics but shares similarities in their patina structures: an outer layer composed of CuFeS₂₎ and malachite, a subsurface layer of CuS) and/or Copper Tin Sulfide, and an inner copper-depleted layer rich in tin and lead. These layers indicate the artifacts experienced three distinct corrosion stages corresponding to aerobic, anaerobic, and re-aerobic conditions, aligned with the ship's sinking, sediment coverage, and post-recovery scenarios. The study reveals that the pre-anaerobic corrosion products significantly influenced the corrosion kinetics in subsequent environments, affecting the final composition and structure of the patina. Notably, the outer CuS layer, regardless of its compactness, is unable to prevent the selective dissolution of copper from the alloy. The formation of a cuprite layer beneath the copper-depleted layer post-recovery suggests a corrosion resumption due to changes in environmental oxygen levels. These insights emphasize the need for targeted conservation strategies for marine-recovered bronze artifacts, considering their complex corrosion history and environmental interactions.

An early to mid-nineteenth century wreck off the Atlantic seaboard of the United States, discovered during deep-sea research in 2015 and subsequently documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ship Okeanos Explorer, is likely a wet-well smack employed in Atlantic seaboard fisheries from New England to the southern coast of the United States. This article describes the site, the historical and archaeological context of early American fishing craft, and the African American context of fishing and the fisheries of the period.