Since the excavations of the impressive Lake Nemi Roman ‘barges’ (1928-32), nautical archaeology was in want of a clear methodological framework that would not only cover the specific mapping needs in the field, especially when working underwater, but also would set up the standards for recording and documentation for any type of ship remains in any working environment.
In general, the main research components of nautical archaeology are: survey, excavation, recording, recover (including conservation), and publication. The quality of work dedicated to each of these components is critical to the quality of the overall result and the amount of reliable information extracted about the object of study. The survey component encompasses both pre-excavation survey of a known site, which may begin in the dusty halls of archival repositories, and also the search for an unknown site which can be carried out through a wide array of methods ranging from visual diving inspections (swimline, towing search, etc.) to the use of geophysical devices such as side-scanning sonars, sub-bottom profilers, magnetometers, and even remote-sensing underwater vehicles (ROVs). Once the site is located, the mapping of the researched object ranging from simple trilateration, gridding, stereophotogrammetry through to the use of computerized direct survey mapping (DSM) and automated mapping systems (Electronic Distance Measuring Systems (EDMSs) such as Sonic High Accuracy Ranging and Positioning System (SHARPS)) takes precedence over all other work tasks. The choice of the mapping system and the manner of execution of measurements influences directly the accuracy of obtained data. The successful application of the mapping method permits the accomplishment of site excavation which can be made through various methods, depending on the geological settings, location (dry, wet, or underwater), size, shape, preservation state, and the construction of the vessel. Not the least, the process of hull recording has to be a standardized procedure that documents even the most insignificant technical detail. These details are irreplaceable as they are extracted in the course of the irreversible process of excavation. The recover of vessel remains and/or its accompanying artifacts is a complex and financially costly decision that has to balance different factors including potential and real dangers to the site, the state of in situ preservation and the cost of postexcavation conservation, the educational value of the wreck related to the knowledge gain and the public interest. Not the least, the publication of harvested data should be aimed to address the gaps in the current cultural knowledge, as well as the discrepancies related to the applied ship terminology. All these require of the nautical archaeologist specific skills and knowledge from naval architecture and engineering, woodworking, mechanical drawing, materials science, computer science, mathematics, and not the least from the diving science and practice, making the education and training of nautical specialists a daunting challenge.
World History
