Springer Series in Underwater Archaeology – serie

This volume initiates a new series of books on maritime or underwater archaeology, and as the editor of the series I welcome its appearance with great excitement. It is appropriate that the first book of the series is a collection of articles intended for gradu­ ate or undergraduate courses in underwater archaeology, since the growth in academic opportunities for students is an important sign of the vitality of this subdiscipline. The layman will enjoy the book as well. Academic and public interest in shipwrecks and other submerged archaeological sites is indicated by a number of factors. Every year there are 80 to 90 research papers presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology's Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, and the Proceedings are published. Public interest is shown by extensive press coverage of shipwreck investigations. One of the most important advances in recent years has been the passage of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, for the first time providing national-level law con­ cerning underwater archeological sites. The legislation has withstood a number of legal challenges by commercial treasure salvors, a very hopeful sign for the long-term pres­ ervation of this nonrenewable type of cultural resource. The underwater archaeological discoveries of 1995 were particularly noteworthy. The Texas Historical Commission discovered the Belle, one of La Salle's ships, and the CSS Hunley was found by a joint project of South Carolina and a private nonprofit organization called NUMA.

This volume initiates a new series of books on maritime or underwater archaeology, and as the editor of the series I welcome its appearance with great excitement. It is appropriate that the first book of the series is a collection of articles intended for gradu­ ate or undergraduate courses in underwater archaeology, since the growth in academic opportunities for students is an important sign of the vitality of this subdiscipline. The layman will enjoy the book as well. Academic and public interest in shipwrecks and other submerged archaeological sites is indicated by a number of factors. Every year there are 80 to 90 research papers presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology's Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, and the Proceedings are published. Public interest is shown by extensive press coverage of shipwreck investigations. One of the most important advances in recent years has been the passage of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, for the first time providing national-level law con­ cerning underwater archeological sites. The legislation has withstood a number of legal challenges by commercial treasure salvors, a very hopeful sign for the long-term pres­ ervation of this nonrenewable type of cultural resource. The underwater archaeological discoveries of 1995 were particularly noteworthy. The Texas Historical Commission discovered the Belle, one of La Salle's ships, and the CSS Hunley was found by a joint project of South Carolina and a private nonprofit organization called NUMA.

In Archaeology Under Water (1966: 19), pioneer nautical archaeologist George Bass pointed out how much easier it is to train someone who is already an archaeologist to become a diver than to take trained divers and teach them to do archaeology. While this is 'generally true, there have also been occasions when well-trained and enthusiastic sport-divers have been willing to accept the train­ ing and discipline necessary to conduct good archaeological science, becoming first-rate scholars in the process. Dr. Donna Souza's book is the product of just such a transition. It shows how a sport-diver and volunteer fieldworker can proceed through a rigorous graduate program to achieve research results that are convincing in their own right and point toward new directions in the discipline as a whole. What is new in this book for maritime archaeology? Perhaps the most obvious and important feature of Dr. Souza's archaeological and historical analysis of the wreck at Pulaski Reef and its contemporaries in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida, is the way it serves as a means to a larger end---namely an understanding of the social history of the transition from sail to steam in late nineteenth century maritime commerce in America. The relationship between changes in technology and culture is a classic theme in anthropology, and this study extends ~t theme into the domain of underwater archaeology.

For many years, one of my favorite classroom devices in historical archaeology was to ask the students to imagine that they had to make the choice between saving—from some unnamed calamity—all master’s theses or all doctoral disser tations in anthropology, but not both. Like good students, they usually looked to their Ph.D. holding professor and chose the dissertations. Much to their surprise, Iwouldrespondthatthetheseswould win withouteventakingtime to ponderthe issue. The issue is clearly one of often naïve and rarely eloquent theses full of good primary data versus sometimes more sophisticated and better written works full of irrelevant theory and meaningless statistics. Perhaps this is an overstate ment of the situation, but it is not too far offthe mark. The University Microfilms International efforts to make the titles of disser tations in North America and the English speaking portions of Europe available through Dissertation Abstracts is commendable. With only one minor exception, dissertations in historical and underwater archaeology in the United States are to be found listed in Dissertation Abstracts and thus are available for purchase.

Although underwater archaeology has assumed its rightful place as an important subdiscipline in the field, the published literature has not kept pace with the rapid increase in the number of both prehistoric and historic underwater sites. The editors have assembled an internationally distinguished roster of contributors to fill this gap. In addition to both geographical and topical approaches, the chapters also focus on technology, law, public and private institutional roles and goals, and the research and development of future technologies and public programs.

In the early 1980s the author was asked to investigate the newly-discovered wreck of the Xantho, an iron screw steamship active off the Australian coast during the period 1848 to 1872, and to develop a strategy to stop the looting that was occurring at the site. This relatively straightforward assignment turned into a long-term research programme for applying maritime archaeology to the conservation of iron-hulled wrecks.

The establishment of a consumer society in Australia has not been a particularly well explored area of academic inquiry. My interests lie in the concepts and meanings that underlie the material world; ideas like, in the words of Madonna, "I am a material girl and I live in a material world" (terminology taken to be not gender specific), the classic graffiti paraphrasing of Descartes: I shop therefore I am or perhaps simply in the "world of goods" in the more academically respectable terms of Douglas and Isherwood (1979). This book arises out of my longstanding interest in the early colonial period in Australia. In part it represents an extension of the purely "historical" research conducted for my Master's thesis in the Department of History at the University of Sydney which explored aspects of the diet, health and lived experience of con­ victs and immigrants during their voyages to the Australian colonies within the timeframe 1837 to 1839 (Staniforth, 1993a). More importantly, it is the culmina­ tion of more than twenty-five years involvement in the excavation of shipwreck sites in Australia starting with James Matthews (1841) in 1974, through the test excavation of William Salthouse in 1982, continuing with my involvement between 1985 and 1994 in the excavation of Sydney Cove (1797) and most recently with shore-based whaling stations and whaling shipwreck sites. In this respect, this book may be seen as an example of what Ian Hodder (1986, p.

Historical archaeologists are in a unique position to analyze both historical documents and archaeological data in order to generate hypotheses and draw conclusions. In this work, the data not only provided the history of the ship Catharine but also the economic, social and political environments in which the ship was built and employed. This work focuses not only on the shipwreck and the wrecking event, but on the history and archaeology of a single ship. With this expanded view, the research also delves into international shipbuilding and the struggle for dominance in the ship trade in the 19th century.

Writing to the governor of Florida in September of 1964, the president of the Florida Keys Underwater Guides Association expressed concern about proposed salvage operations on the shipwrecks of the Spanish fleet of 1733. The Guides went on record to ask the governor for help "to preserve these historical wrecks for the present and future enjoyment of the public. " Subsequently, a similar request was sent to the governor by the Florida Upper Keys Chamber of Commerce, which wrote that "we feel strongly that the historic interest and attractions for our growing influx of skindivers produced by these wrecks is much more valuable to the State of Florida than the 25% share gained from salvage of these old wrecks and their treasures. " Shortly thereafter, the Monroe County Advertising Commission wrote the governor that "the historic wrecks off our coasts are a part of our heritage to be enjoyed and seen and not to be despoiled. [Aside from] the discovery of occasional "pieces of eight" and/orartifacts by individuals or the hope of such discoveries, the underwater beauty of a wreck housing hundreds of fish or a mound of cannon balls is directly beneficial to our economy while concerted salvage operations would destroy permanently the lure of these wrecks. " But the notion that these underwater sites would best serve the public as historical and environmental attractions rather than to be picked apart under state supervision for personal trophies was an idea way ahead of its time.

Writing to the governor of Florida in September of 1964, the president of the Florida Keys Underwater Guides Association expressed concern about proposed salvage operations on the shipwrecks of the Spanish fleet of 1733. The Guides went on record to ask the governor for help "to preserve these historical wrecks for the present and future enjoyment of the public. " Subsequently, a similar request was sent to the governor by the Florida Upper Keys Chamber of Commerce, which wrote that "we feel strongly that the historic interest and attractions for our growing influx of skindivers produced by these wrecks is much more valuable to the State of Florida than the 25% share gained from salvage of these old wrecks and their treasures. " Shortly thereafter, the Monroe County Advertising Commission wrote the governor that "the historic wrecks off our coasts are a part of our heritage to be enjoyed and seen and not to be despoiled. [Aside from] the discovery of occasional "pieces of eight" and/orartifacts by individuals or the hope of such discoveries, the underwater beauty of a wreck housing hundreds of fish or a mound of cannon balls is directly beneficial to our economy while concerted salvage operations would destroy permanently the lure of these wrecks. " But the notion that these underwater sites would best serve the public as historical and environmental attractions rather than to be picked apart under state supervision for personal trophies was an idea way ahead of its time.

Maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage management have become well established over the past twenty years or so in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Australia. During that period Australian researchers and underwater cultural heritage managers have conducted a significant number of important maritime archaeological investigations and have developed innovative approaches to the discipline.Subject areas discussed in this book include shipwrecks and abandoned vessels, underwater site formation processes, maritime infrastructure and industries such as whaling, submerged aircraft and Australian Indigenous sites underwater. The application of National and State legislation and management regimes to these underwater cultural heritage sites is also highlighted, together with the important role of avocational divers and training programs in raising the profile of underwater and maritime heritage sites.The book includes a comprehensive bibliography of work conducted both in Australia and by Australian maritime archaeologists in the Asia-Pacific region. This book will be of interest to students and practitioners of maritime and historical archaeology and cultural heritage managers throughout the world as example of good practice and innovative approaches to maritime archaeology.

Global processes such as capitalism and colonialism are influenced by local forces and manifested in events at a local level. The study of local practices can thus provide new insights into broader social relations. This book analyses British action at the end of the 18th century in the Southern hemisphere. Two Royal Navy ships, one off the Argentinean coast and one off the Southeast Australian coast are examined. By applying the concept of praxis, British action is integrated in both land and maritime spaces. A closer look into the associated experienced landscapes enhances our understanding of how social identities were projected at local and global levels. This book goes beyond a descriptive analysis of wrecks by exploring them and their cargoes as embodiments of 18th century social relations. Maritime Archaeology and Social Relations challenges traditional maritime approaches providing a different perspective that emphasises the richness, diversity and complexity of British action.

Maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage management have become well established over the past twenty years or so in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Australia. During that period Australian researchers and underwater cultural heritage managers have conducted a significant number of important maritime archaeological investigations and have developed innovative approaches to the discipline.Subject areas discussed in this book include shipwrecks and abandoned vessels, underwater site formation processes, maritime infrastructure and industries such as whaling, submerged aircraft and Australian Indigenous sites underwater. The application of National and State legislation and management regimes to these underwater cultural heritage sites is also highlighted, together with the important role of avocational divers and training programs in raising the profile of underwater and maritime heritage sites.The book includes a comprehensive bibliography of work conducted both in Australia and by Australian maritime archaeologists in the Asia-Pacific region. This book will be of interest to students and practitioners of maritime and historical archaeology and cultural heritage managers throughout the world as example of good practice and innovative approaches to maritime archaeology.

Global processes such as capitalism and colonialism are influenced by local forces and manifested in events at a local level. The study of local practices can thus provide new insights into broader social relations. This book analyses British action at the end of the 18th century in the Southern hemisphere. Two Royal Navy ships, one off the Argentinean coast and one off the Southeast Australian coast are examined. By applying the concept of praxis, British action is integrated in both land and maritime spaces. A closer look into the associated experienced landscapes enhances our understanding of how social identities were projected at local and global levels. This book goes beyond a descriptive analysis of wrecks by exploring them and their cargoes as embodiments of 18th century social relations. Maritime Archaeology and Social Relations challenges traditional maritime approaches providing a different perspective that emphasises the richness, diversity and complexity of British action.

Historical archaeologists are in a unique position to analyze both historical documents and archaeological data in order to generate hypotheses and draw conclusions. In this work, the data not only provided the history of the ship "Catharine" but also the economic, social and political environments in which the ship was built and employed.This work focuses not only on the shipwreck and the wrecking event, but on the history and archaeology of a single ship. With this expanded view, the research also delves into:*International shipbuilding; *The struggle for dominance in the ship trade in the 19th century.This book will be of interest to underwater, historical and cultural archaeologists, social historians, cultural heritage managers and archaeologists working in the southeastern United States.

The establishment of a consumer society in Australia has not been a particularly well explored area of academic inquiry. My interests lie in the concepts and meanings that underlie the material world; ideas like, in the words of Madonna, "I am a material girl and I live in a material world" (terminology taken to be not gender specific), the classic graffiti paraphrasing of Descartes: I shop therefore I am or perhaps simply in the "world of goods" in the more academically respectable terms of Douglas and Isherwood (1979). This book arises out of my longstanding interest in the early colonial period in Australia. In part it represents an extension of the purely "historical" research conducted for my Master's thesis in the Department of History at the University of Sydney which explored aspects of the diet, health and lived experience of con­ victs and immigrants during their voyages to the Australian colonies within the timeframe 1837 to 1839 (Staniforth, 1993a). More importantly, it is the culmina­ tion of more than twenty-five years involvement in the excavation of shipwreck sites in Australia starting with James Matthews (1841) in 1974, through the test excavation of William Salthouse in 1982, continuing with my involvement between 1985 and 1994 in the excavation of Sydney Cove (1797) and most recently with shore-based whaling stations and whaling shipwreck sites. In this respect, this book may be seen as an example of what Ian Hodder (1986, p.

Although underwater archaeology has assumed its rightful place as an important subdiscipline in the field, the published literature has not kept pace with the rapid increase in the number of both prehistoric and historic underwater sites. The editors have assembled an internationally distinguished roster of contributors to fill this gap. In addition to both geographical and topical approaches, the chapters also focus on technology, law, public and private institutional roles and goals, and the research and development of future technologies and public programs.

In the early 1980s the author was asked to investigate the newly discovered wreck of the Xantho, an iron screw steamship active off the Australian coast during the period 1848 to 1872, and to develop a strategy to stop the looting that was occurring at the site. This relatively straightforward assignment turned into a long-term research program for applying maritime archaeology to the conservation of iron-hulled wrecks.

For many years, one of my favorite classroom devices in historical archaeology was to ask the students to imagine that they had to make the choice between saving—from some unnamed calamity—all master’s theses or all doctoral disser tations in anthropology, but not both. Like good students, they usually looked to their Ph.D. holding professor and chose the dissertations. Much to their surprise, Iwouldrespondthatthetheseswould win withouteventakingtime to ponderthe issue. The issue is clearly one of often naïve and rarely eloquent theses full of good primary data versus sometimes more sophisticated and better written works full of irrelevant theory and meaningless statistics. Perhaps this is an overstate ment of the situation, but it is not too far offthe mark. The University Microfilms International efforts to make the titles of disser tations in North America and the English speaking portions of Europe available through Dissertation Abstracts is commendable. With only one minor exception, dissertations in historical and underwater archaeology in the United States are to be found listed in Dissertation Abstracts and thus are available for purchase.