Maritime Archaeology a Reader of Substantive and Theoretical Contributions the Plenum Series in Underwater Archaeology Series Editor: J

Maritime Archaeology A Reader of Substantive and Theoretical Contributions The Plenum Series in Underwater Archaeology Series Editor: J. Barto Arnold III Institute of Nautical Archaeology Texas A&M University College Station, Texas Maritime Archaeology: A Reader of Substantive and Theoretical Contributions Edited by Lawrence E. Babits and Hans Van Tilburg The Persistence of Sail in the Age of Steam: Underwater Archaeological Evidence from the Dry T ortugas Donna J. Souza A Continuation Order Plan is available for this series. A continuation order wi11 bring delivery of each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are bi11ed only upon actual shipment. For further information please contact the publisher. Maritime Archaeology A Reader of Substantive and Theoretical Contributions Edited by Lawrence E. Babits East Carolina University Greenville, North Carolina and Hans Van Tilburg University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, Hawaii Springer Science+ Business Media, LLC Library of Congress Cataloglng-ln-Publ1 cation Data Maritime archaeology : a reader of substantive and theoretical contributions / edited by Lawrence E. Bablts and Hans Van Tilburg. p. cm. — (The Plenum series in underwater archaeology) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Underwater archaeology. I. Babits, Lawrence Edward. II. Van Tilburg, Hans. III. Series. CC77.U5M366 1998 930. 1'028'04~dc21 97-49977 CIP ISBN 978-0-306-45331-1 ISBN 978-1-4899-0084-5 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-0084-5 © Springer Science+Business Media New York 1998 Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1998 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1998 http://www.plenum.com 1098765432 1 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher This work is respectively dedicated to four maritime archaeologists who first saw the importance of underwater cultural resources and helped create a new discipline George F. Bass Keith Muckelroy Reynold Ruppe Peter Throckmorton and to the next generation of maritimers who will continue in their tradition of excellence and professionalism Series Preface 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 many areas there is active participation of avocationals with underwater archae ologists is researching and investigating shipwreck sites. The recreational dive commu nity has the potential to provide assistance in studying underwater archaeological sites. It is the responsibility of the archaeological community to embrace this opportunity and provide the guidance and education needed by the divers. Volunteers are particularly vii viii Series Preface adapted to the predisturbance mapping and site-recording phases of fieldwork. Publica tions in the Plenum series will be particularly useful for avocationals. As a field of study, maritime archaeology continues to grow and expand. Like other archaeologists, underwater archaeologists have an obligation to publish their results; the series is a great new channel to fulfilling that obligation. This book and the initiation of The Plenum Series in Underwater Archaeology will make 1998 a milestone. J. Barto Arnold III Preface Refinement of the self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) during World War II gave more and more people an opportunity to spend time underwater. On repeated occasions, divers encountered the remains of past human activity, ranging from eroded prehistoric sites through sunken vessels to entire towns. As word of these accidental discoveries spread, site visitation increased and damage occurred. Eventually, news of the sunken sites reached the archaeological community and divers already trained in archaeological techniques began to work underwater. In many cases, people trained as archaeologists underwent dive training in order to work on sites related to their academic interests. As underwater technical knowledge increased, more archaeologists and historians, both amateur and academic, began to dive. For many, the mask, fins, tanks, and slates were simply an outgrowth of trowels, shovels, and other equipment used on land. Development of specific techniques for underwater research occupied most exca vators and few thought to delve into the theory behind the archaeology. This practical approach was not a problem for those trained as archaeologists. For those trained as historians, or diving simply to recover something of the past, a basic understanding of what is meant by archaeology, its assumed meanings, and its relation to the scientific method was missing. Theoretical problems grew as students and amateurs alike engaged in the recovery of submerged cultural artifacts. While implications of a specific anthropological orientation permeating the field can be seen throughout this text, development of a scientific methodological frame work allowing replicative testing is heavily emphasized. Although a scientific para digm often shifts slightly, its use allows others to check and verify conclusions which should push investigators toward accurate data recovery and interpretive conclusions. In some ways, this development paralled Historical Archaeology. Many terres trial archaeologists said, often in writing, that working underwater was not archaeol ogy, possibly because of the publicity, the financial riches of some sites, and the rogue ix x Preface image associated with divers and presented in the media. The legacy of the cowboy image persists today but diver training, both in techniques of working underwater and the academic aspects of archaeology have improved greatly. Diving archaeologists need a foundation in theoretical issues and the "why" of archaeological endeavor if they are to carry the field of archaeology into the next cen tury. This book is written for those who wish to convey a knowledge of the past within a scientific framework, especially students with serious interests in locating and inter preting past human behavior. The first part (I) includes an introduction to the field. This is followed by a series of articles discussing what the field of archaeology actually involves and how it relates to the past. The sometimes acrimonious division between salvors and archaeologists is included here because they represent two different extremes of the same effort. Part II presents information and sources on several areas of the world. An emphasis on writings outside the mainstream suggests areas which need additional effort, particu larly native African and Asian maritime material culture. The well-known Caribbean, Mediterranean, and northern European areas are covered with introductory bibliographic materials which are readily available. The two parts that follow deal with the theory behind the scientific method (IV) and how one finds sites (V). The part on scientific theory includes two classic articles by Chamberlin and Platt which are available only in microfilm. Finding sites requires knowledge of theory, the site formation process, and the sophisticated equipment (VI) used to search below the surface for sites. The readings on survey apply theoretical and practical matters, especially in Part VI, which includes material on the sophisticated technology used to locate sites. Since this technology changes so rapidly, early, basic articles are presented. These are supported by a more current bibliography. The importance of any site varies from person to person depending on their back ground and interests. Part VII provides readings on how one determines significance, an image-laden word related to funding, protection, and publicity about the site. With out some idea ofa site's significance, and its relationship to other sites, generating sup port for a research effort is problematic. How information is recovered and conserved is presented in Parts VIII and IX. Methods of examining a site before it is disturbed, how the site is recorded during excavation, and working

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