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.

Klappentext

This unique text presents a variety of writings discussing the spectrum of theory and practice in maritime archaeology from its beginnings in the late 1940s to the early 1990s. It is the first such comprehensive reference available, covering the field's history, approaches to fieldwork, technical developments, and areal bibliographies. Notable attention is given to the scientific method in two classic chapters by Platt and Chamberlin, augmented by flow charts and examples. Comparative readings explore the differing views of academics, amateurs, and treasure hunters on the contentious subject of underwater resources. Students will find no more complete introduction to the subject.

Inhalt

1. The Fos Underwater Excavations.- 2. The Technical Importance of Shipwreck Archaeology.- 3. Introducing Maritime Archaeology.- 4. Integrating Archaeological and Historical Records in Dutch East India Company Research.- 5. A Discussion of Maritime Archaeology.- 6. Underwater Archaeology, European versus American.- 7. The South Carolina Hobby Diver Program.- 8. The World's Worst Investment: The Economics of Treasure Hunting with Real-Life Comparisons.- 9. Why Dr. Bass Couldn't Convince Mr. Gumbel: The Trouble with Treasure Revisited, Again.- 10. Archaeology on Trial.- 11. American Naval Archaeology: Past and Prologue.- II.A: The Mediterranean: Bibliography.- II.B: Northern Europe: Bibliography.- II.C: The Caribbean: Bibliography.- 12. Current Status of Underwater Archaeology in Malaysia.- 13. Philippine Underwater Archaeology: Present Research Projects and New Developments.- II.E: The Arabic World: Bibliography.- II.F: Africa: Bibliography.- 14. The Method of Multiple Working Hypotheses: With This Method the Dangers of Parental Affection for a Favorite Theory Can Be Circumvented.- 15. Strong Inference: Certain Systematic Methods of Scientific Thinking May Produce Much More Rapid Progress Than Others.- 16. The Limitations of Inference in Archaeology.- 17. Archaeological Methods.- 18. The Berth 52 Vessel (09CH691): The Interim Report.- 19. Middle-Range Theory in Archaeology: A Critical Review of Origins and Applications.- 20. Technology, Theory, and Analysis: Using Remote Sensing as a Tool for Middle-Range Theory Building in Maritime and Nautical Archaeology.- 21. Considerations for Research Designs in Shipwreck Archaeology.- 22. Sea Level Change as a Variable in Colonial American Archaeology.- 23. Site Location Factors.- 24. Physical Processes at the CSSChattahoochee Wreck Site.- 25. The Archaeology of Shipwrecks.- 26. Cultural Resources Magnetometer Survey and Testing.- 27. A Diachronic Study of Some Historical and Natural Factors Linked to Shipwreck Patterns in the Northern Gulf of Mexico.- 28. Nautical Archaeology Survey Methods.- 29. A Developmental Model for Survey and Inventory of Submerged Archaeological Resources in a Riverine System: The Patuxent River, Maryland.- 30. History of Diving.- 31. Considerations of Remote Sensing Limitations to Submerged Historical Site Survey.- 32. An Airborne Magnetometer Survey for Shipwrecks and Associated Underwater Test Excavations.- 33. Magnetic Search and Survey in Shallow Water and Beach Areas.- 34. New Capabilities for Side-Scan Sonar.- 35. Isis Versatile Sonar Data Acquisition.- 36. Computer Video Image Digitization on the USS Monitor: A Research Tool for Underwater Archaeology.- 37. Electronic Mapping of Underwater Sites.- V.E: Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV).- 38. An Envelope Full of Questions That Count in Underwater Archaeology.- 39. Toward Establishing Research and Significance Criteria for Civil War Shipwreck Resources.- 40. A Small-Craft Topology: Tool for Archaelogical Research.- 41. Preliminary Investigations of a Shipwreck, Pumpata Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica.- 42. The Analysis of Sea-Bed Distributions: Discontinuous Sites.- 43. Mapping and Site Characterization in Zero Visibility: The C.S.S. Georgia.- 44. Bridging the Experience Gap: Techniques for Reducing the Stress of Zero Visibility Training.- 45. Zero-Visibility Diving on the Maple Leaf: The Tricks of the Trade.- 46. The Investigation of the Factors That Affect the Preservation of Underwater Archaeological Sites.- 47. 16th-Century Spanish Basque Coopering Technology.- 48. Shipwreck! The 1554Flota Exhibit.- A Children's Museum Exhibit on the 1554 Flota Wrecks.- Conclusion.- Appendix A. Archaeological Organizations and Journals.- Appendix B. Supplemental Bibliographical Sources for 17th through 19th Centuries.- About the Contributors.