Lessons learned. In situ-preservation of shipwrecks in the coastal waters of Western Sweden (original) (raw)
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Managing the Maritime Heritage under Water. The Choices We Face.
Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig …, 2006
The incredible number and diversity of (early) post-Medieval wreck sites that have been preserved in Dutch territorial waters produces a range of dilemmas in archaeological heritage management. This wealth of archaeological material is a blessing, but it is also a curse. It is not diffi cult to choose interesting objects for research, but to take responsibility for the Dutch underwater cultural heritage as a whole is an expensive, time-consuming task. It has as many potential loopholes and pitfalls as it has benefi ts. Nevertheless, allencompassing management strategies are the mission of any heritage agency, under a coherent strategy for which the Minister of Culture is responsible. The conditions, possibilities and ambitions associated with the underwater cultural heritage have changed dramatically since the issue fi rst arose some 25 years ago. Because of these changes, the choices we face are now dramatically different too. Looking back at 25 years of underwater archaeology in the Netherlands, the present authors conclude that the solutions that were adequate 25 years ago are no longer adequate today. Looking forward, they attempt to indicate possible future directions. Evaluating the present state of Dutch cultural heritage management, they explore the potential for and advantages of joint management of our common European cultural heritage, suggesting a number of small steps towards joint efforts. An international approach is needed even more nowadays to avoid isolation in the national arena.
Maritime Archaeology in Finland: History and Future Tasks
Journal of Maritime Archaeology, 2021
This article provides an account of the history, present state, and possible future directions of Finnish maritime archaeology in order to elucidate certain aspects characteristic of the field. In the Finnish context, academia and the heritage sector are historically interconnected, and professionals have successfully assumed responsibilities in both. Research opportunities, however, have been more numerous at the Finnish Heritage Agency (FHA) than in academia, whereas the focus has been on well-preserved wrecks mainly from seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This can be explained by the great number of registered shipwrecks from the historical periods being managed by the FHA. Well-preserved shipwrecks are also central for hobby divers' interest that has been historically paramount for the development of the field. At the same time, discontinuities in academic training of maritime archaeologists have created a situation where opportunities for long-term and indepth research at universities have been few. Future prospects of Finnish maritime archaeology are discussed with respect to the current state, and the interconnectedness of the heritage management sector, academically trained maritime archaeologists, and avocational diving societies and volunteers is emphasised as a key element in continued development.
2017
This chapter examines the benefits and constraints of collaboration between an archaeological research unit and a commercial company, using as examples joint research conducted by MARIS (Maritime Archaeological Research Institute at Sodertorn University) and the Swedish commercial marine survey company MMT. The examples presented here included the detailed reconstruction by remote sensing of deeply submerged shipwrecks and the mapping and discovery of submerged archaeological landscapes and associated artefacts such as fish traps, which can then be examined more closely by archaeological divers. The benefits to archaeologists of collaborating with well-equipped commercial companies are obvious, but the benefits are mutual. The demands of archaeological research can generate new technological solutions that have commercial application, as well as producing results with wider educational and social benefits. Provided that archaeological investigations are embedded in the normal commer...
Fehmarn Belt Project - from excavation to museum: The Danish ship Lindormen
Proceedings of the 12th of ICOM-CC WOAM, 2013
Denmark and Germany will soon be linked by a new underwater tunnel. The 5.5 billion Euro project also included archaeology in Danish and German waters. In cooperation between the Viking Museum (DK), Jørgen Dencker, and the State Archaeological Office of Schleswig-Holstein (DE), Martin Segschneider, extensive surveys were carried out. During this survey, two shipwrecks were found on either side of the Fehmarn Belt and partially excavated. This paper will focus on the shipwreck found in German waters. Dendrochronogical analysis dated the shipwreck to the first half of the 17th century and further archival research resulted in a hypothesis about the ship’s identification. In June 2012 a three week excavation campaign was carried out with the goal to prove this hypothesis. The site was located 1.6 nautical miles from the German shore at a depth of 25 m. The area is busy with maritime traffic. Ferries from Puttgarden to Rødby cross 45 times a day and heavy tankers regularly pass by. The whole team spent three weeks on a large multi-purpose vessel, 70 m in length and fully equipped with cranes, operating in accordance with Danish professional diving regulations. During the entire excavation a conservator was present to take care of the recovered objects. A temporary laboratory was installed on the ship and a preventive conservation process was established starting with the diver´s arrival with an object, to the short-term storage in conservation storage boxes, and finally passing through the procedures of registration, photography and a preliminary description. This set-up allowed the conservator to have a clear overview of each object’s condition in order to keep the laboratory on land informed and prepared. More than 180 objects were retrieved from the excavation including a 6.5 m long wooden rudder and five fragments of bronze cannons. This paper presents the conservation work on leather, cordage and wooden objects raised from the excavation and emphasizes the importance of the conservator’s presence during underwater excavations and the impact it had on the diver´s attitude towards fragile objects. This international project allowed us to work to high standards and proved again that professionals in the field play an important role during excavations.
Shipwrecked In Situ: Saving the Sunken Past or Scapegoat Archaeology?
Maritime Heritage Foundation, 2019
Whether leaving ancient and historic shipwrecks untouched to benefit future generations or allowing excavation – the uncontroversial cornerstone of land archaeology – deeply divides the field underwater. Under the banner of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, current management embraces the in situ preservation of wrecks as optimum practice. When it comes to what UNESCO actually intends, a disturbing disconnect and lack of consistency emerges. Many countries that have ratified the protocol readily license excavation (France, Italy, Croatia). Others that have solely adopted the Convention’s Annex Rules assume a totalitarian approach (UK). More often than not, what countries call in situ preservation is mere retention in situ. This article addresses what the UNESCO protocol intends, highlights inconsistencies and suggests the concept of in situ preservation needs to evolve to maintain relevance. Separately it is proposed that a more realistic approach to managing shipwrecks and extracting their evidential values is to consider significance as the optimum guiding management option.