Our Blue Planet: An Introduction to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology

by Ben Ford, Jessi J. Halligan, Alexis Catsambis

Overview

Our Blue Planet provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of maritime and underwater archaeology. Situating the field within the broader study of history and archaeology, this book advocates that an understanding of how our ancestors interacted with rivers, lakes, and oceans is integral to comprehending the human past. Our Blue Planet covers the full breadth of maritime and underwater archaeology, including formerly terrestrial sites drowned by rising sea levels, coastal sites, and a wide variety of wreck sites ranging across the globe and spanning from antiquity to World War II.

Beginning with a definition of the field and several chapters dedicated to the methods of finding, recording, and interpreting submerged sites, Our Blue Planet provides an entry point for all readers, whether or not they are familiar with maritime and underwater archaeology or archaeology in general. The book then shifts to a thematic approach with chapters exploring human interactions with the watery world, both along the coasts and by ship. These chapters discuss the relationships between culture, technology, and environment that allowed humans through time to spread across the globe. Because ships were the primary means for humans to interact with large bodies of water, they are the focus of several chapters on the development of shipbuilding technology, the lives of sailors, and the uses of ships in exploration, expansion, and warfare. The book ends with chapters on how and why the non-renewable submerged archaeological record should be managed, so that both current and future generations can learn from the achievements and failures of past societies, as well as on how anyone can become involved in maritime and underwater archaeology. Throughout, the reader benefits from the personal reflections of a number of leading figures in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190649937
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	05/14/2020
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	488
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Ben Ford is a Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania specializing in maritime and historical archaeology. His Ph.D. from Texas A&M University was preceded by several years of cultural resource management experience and degrees from the College of William and Mary and the University of Cincinnati. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and the 2015 Archaeological Institute of America McCann-Taggart Underwater Archaeology Lecturer.

Jessi Halligan is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Florida State University specializing in the geoarchaeology of inundated landscapes and the peopling of the Americas. Her PhD from Texas A&M University was preceded by several years of cultural resource management in the Northeast and Great Plains of the United States, and by a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Harvard University specializing in archaeology.

Alexis Catsambis is a Maritime Archaeologist with the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, DC, specializing in heritage management and nautical archaeology. He holds his doctoral and graduate degrees from Texas A&M University and completed his undergraduate studies with the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity of the University of Birmingham. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Washington DC Society of the Archaeological Institute of America.

Table of Contents

List of Figures and TablesPrefaceAcknowledgementsA Note on NamesTimelineIntroduction
PART I
Chapter 1: What We Can Learn From Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyGeorge Bass, Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University, USA
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyPilar Luna Erreguerena, Archaeologist, Vice- Directorate of Underwater Archaeology, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico
Chapter 2: What Is Maritime and Underwater Archaeology and Why Is It Important?
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyDolores Elkin, Director, Underwater Archaeology Program, National Institute of Anthropology, Argentina
Chapter 3: How Do We Learn from Things?
Sidebar: Indigenous CollaborationMadeline Fowlera and Rigney Lester- Irabinnab, Senior Research Fellow in Archaeology, University of Southampton; bProfessor of Education, University of South Australia, Australia
PART II
Chapter 4: Archaeological Research in an Underwater Environment
Sidebar: Marine Archaeology and DevelopmentChristopher E. Horrell, Federal Preservation Officer/ Senior Marine Archaeologist, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, USA
Sidebar: Coastal Archaeology and Shoreline Change Along The Indian CoastAniruddh S. Gaur, Marine Archaeology Center, CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography, India
Chapter 5: Documenting & Excavating Underwater Sites: Digging and Drawing without Drowning
Sidebar: Deepwater Archaeology: A Rapidly Emerging FieldDan Davis, Department of Classics, Luther College, USA
Sidebar: Basic Chemistry and Techniques of Archaeological ConservationDonny L. Hamilton, Director, Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, Texas A&M University, USA
Chapter 6: Putting it All Together: How to Get from Site to People
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyMarc- André Bernier, Manager, Underwater Archaeology, Archaeology and History, Parks Canada, Canada
Sidebar: Connecting The Dots of Maritime Archaeology and HistoryKevin Crisman, Professor, Nautical Archaeology Graduate Program, Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Texas A&M University, USA
PART III
Chapter 7: Interacting with the Environment
Sidebar: Maritime Archaeology and Environmental ChangeMark Dunkley, Maritime Archaeologist, Historic England, UK
Sidebar: From The Neolithic to The 20th Century: Underwater Archaeology in Israel Reveals 10,000 Years of Maritime HistoryEhud Galili, Senior Researcher, Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Israel
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyMichael K. Faught, Vice President and Treasurer, Archaeological Research Cooperative; Maritime Archaeologist, SEARCH, Inc., USA
Chapter 8: Inhabiting the Coast
Sidebar: Maritime Archaeology of Buried Ships and HarborsJames P. Delgado, Senior Vice President, SEARCH, Inc., USA
Chapter 9: Ships
Sidebar: The Science of Ship DesignEric Reith, Director of Research Emeritus, CNRS, LAMOP, Musée national de la Marine, France
Chapter 10: Life Afloat: Sailors and Seafaring
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyJohan Rönnby, Professor, MARIS, Södertörn University, Sweden
Chapter 11: Exploration, Colonization, Trade, and Extraction
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyBruno E.J.S. Werz, CEO, African Institute for Marine & Underwater Research, Exploration & Education (AIMURE), South Africa
Chapter 12: Warfare at Sea
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyRandall Sasaki, Researcher, Kyushu National Museum, Japan
PART IV
Chapter 13: Managing and Valuing Underwater Cultural Heritage
Sidebar: What Matters in Underwater Archaeology is The Thinking, Not The SinkingThijs J. Maarleveld, Professor of Maritime Archaeology, Department of History, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Sidebar: The Role of Government in Maritime ArchaeologyGeorge Koutsouflakis, Director, Department of Underwater Archaeological Sites, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyKim Faulk, Chief Operating Officer, PAST Foundation, USA
Chapter 14: Conclusions: The Future of Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyStella Demesticha, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater ArchaeologyJennifer McKinnon, Associate Professor, Maritime Studies Program, Maritime History and Archaeology, East Carolina University, USA
Sidebar: Using Maritime Archaeology to Teach The WorldAnnalies Corbin, President and CEO, PAST Foundation, USA
Glossary of TermsList of References, Sorted By Chapter

Editorial Reviews

"A long-awaited, much-needed, up-to-date textbook for archaeological professionals. This comprehensive, well-organized compilation is a significant new resource for those in academia teaching the next generation of students, cultural resource management practitioners working with heritage stewards, or citizen scientists in this area of specialization." — American Antiquity

"A well-structured and detailed textbook that students, avocational and professionals alike can easily utilise and enjoy. With an aim to fill the gap between existing texts and popular culture publications, the authors should be commended for compiling a fresh, modern book that covers the intricacies and broad topics of our discipline. I highly recommend this as a reference book for anyone interested in maritime and underwater archaeology." — Maddy McAllister, Journal of Maritime Archaeology

"The authors have created a very significant output that will greatly aid those entering the field.... Although there have been dozens (or perhaps hundreds) of popular maritime archaeology books describing exciting discoveries of the discipline, there are really none that make the academic side of maritime archaeology as accessible to the beginner as Our Blue Planet." — Australian Archaeology

"This is a perfect vehicle for undergraduates looking for a thorough guide to the what, why and how of maritime archaeology. Current, knowledgeable and peppered with a creative set of iconic images, this book is a perfect launchpad for students' tentative first steps. It successfully demystifies the complexities about finding, surveying, excavating and interpreting prehistoric camps, wrecks and ports below and above the waterline." — Wreckwatch Magazine

From the Publisher