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Geoarchaeology of submerged archaeological sites: studies in site characterization and formation process

Thursday 3rd July: 11:00 - 13:00
2 hour session: 5-10 minute position papers followed by discussion to conclude

Justin Dix (University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre)
Rory Quinn (University of Ulster, Centre for Maritime Archaeology, School of Environmental Sciences)
Trevor Bell (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Department of Geography)

Abstract

As with the progression of terrestrial archaeology during the 19th and 20th Centuries, the desire to have a detailed understanding of the nature and temporal evolution of the environment of any submerged site has sadly lagged behind the desire to record, interpret and extract artefactual material. This is an even greater problem in the marine environment as here the dynamics of the system (physical, chemical and biological) operate at time and space scales orders of magnitude greater than terrestrial sites. However, the last decade has seen an increasing awareness for the need of generic models and theories of site evolution, as well as feasible (in terms of technology and cost) methods of implementation. Ironically management and preservation concerns rather than the requirements of academic archaeologists have driven this. It is therefore an ideal time to bring together the global network of people currently working in all aspects of marine geoarchaeology. This session would aim to bring people together working on specific site formation processes, theoretical models of site evolution and technological developments. The session proposers believe that such a theme could draw experts from both hemispheres to provide a global overview of the current state of the discipline.

Papers