The Technical Importance of Shipwreck Archaeology

Abstract

“Is this vessel important?” is a question often received in connection with underwater ship finds. An underwater ship find may be of importance to a number of persons depending on their particular interests. A technical historian might want to study the vessel’s form and construction; an archaeologist will seek to retrieve artifacts pertaining to the cargo, passengers, if any, and crew; a salvager would look for items that could easily be disposed of to collectors and scrap dealers; and an oil company might simply consider the find an obstruction to a proposed pipeline. The current questions concerning the importance of underwater ship finds may stem from the recent studies of the cultural resources of the continental shelf.