Singh, Hanumant; Adams, Jonathan; Mindell, David; and Foley, Brendan 2000 Imaging Underwater for Archaeology. Journal of Field Archaeology volume 27 number 3: 319-328.
The article by the various authors listed above concentrated on the various techniques that are used to locate and then to excavate these sites. They list and discuss the various techniques that they use. These vary from side-scanning to locate the sites to high resolution video to see how the site appears and the various locations of the artifacts.
The Titanic and the Bismarck were just two of the examples that were given for recent excavations. The article also discussed the numerous surveys of the Hamilton and Scourge that are located in Lake Ontario as well as those located in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Acoustic mapping, high-resolution video, and robots were used in the excavations of the Titanic and the Bismarck.
The article then goes on to describe the various techniques that are used in underwater archaeology. The first was acoustic imaging, which uses sound waves to map the sea floor by the reflections. This method is useful where the area is too dark to use video cameras. Due to recent advancements in technology the images that this method can reproduce are the same quality as a photograph. The frequencies that are used in the archaeological surveys range from 10kHz to 1Mhz. Acoustic imaging can cover a width from several kilometers down to 10 meters. There is a trade off between range and resolution. This depends on the frequency that is being used. Lower frequency models are either ship mounted or towed behind to give a broad picture of the site where the higher frequencies provide a much clearer image.
The next method that was discussed in the article was side-scan sonar systems. This method uses an object that is shaped like a torpedo; this is then towed behind the ship at a depth that is around 10 percent of the width. The side-scan method uses two fan shaped beams, as the beams reflect off of the sea floor there is a scan line that when plotted with the other scan lines an image is created. This method also has it’s downsides as well radiometric artifacts are harder to distinguish than geometric artifacts, this can lead to some artifacts not being noticed or being confused with natural objects such as rocks.
The third and final method that was discussed was optical imaging and photo mosaics.
...ts were labelled with the upper case letters which represented the material types and a numeric letter. The artifacts were placed in different boxes. The artifact analysis was then conducted and the characteristics such as tool type and material type of each artifact were recorded on the artifact catalog forms. The material samples of lithic tools, faunal remains, and ceramics remains were compare with existing artifacts to identify their material type. The Vernier scale was used for the measurements of each lithic tools.
Archaeology is a continuously evolving field where there is a constant stream of new branches and excavation methods. Due to the influx of new technologies and innovations in recent decades, archaeologists have been able to excavate previously inaccessible areas. For example, new diving equipment and tools such as proton magnetometers, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom profiler, and miniature submarines have allowed archaeologists to dive into the deep depths of the ocean. As a result, the branch of underwater archaeology was created to search for shipwrecks and other artifacts on the ocean floor. Underwater archaeology’s role has increased in recent years as it allows archaeologists to more accurately interpret the past by supplementing information gained through traditional land excavations.
Smithsonian Channel, "The Titanic of the Great Lakes." Last modified 2013. Accessed April 10, 2014. http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/sc/web/series/798/dive-detectives/137519/edmund-fitzgerald
...ncyclopedia of Archaeology, Ed. Deborah M. Pearsall. Vol. 3. Oxford, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2008. p1896-1905. New Britain: Elsevier, Inc.
There are plenty of ship remains. The Titanic remains are sitting on the Atlantic Ocean sea bed. The Titanic sits on the sea bed 1,2400 feet below the surface, 3,780 meters!
Because of the scarcity of the archaeological record at the stone rings, any attempts to
David Doubilet was born November 28, 1946 in New York City. At a young age Doubilet developed an interest in underwater life and photography, at the age of twelve Doubilet took his first underwater photograph with a Brownie Hawkeye camera. As a young adult Doubilet attended the Boston University, where he studied photography. Not long after that he began to shoot professional photographs for famous articles, magazines, books, and other publications. His specialty is underwater photography, he shoots not only fish and other natural underwater life, but shipwrecks and other underwater disasters too. His specialty within the realm of underwater photography is photographs half in water half out of water.
Ultrasounds use the same concepts that allow sonar on boats to see the bottom of the o...
While digging in the far reaches of the African outback, now know as the western part of Kenya, archaeologist Bozo excavated a site that revolutionized the thoughts of the scientific world. At this site they found many interesting artifacts and paintings that included proof of an early civilization. At this time scientists are calling this civilization “Pontu” after one of the paintings suggested that a pontoon was used for transportation across Lake Victoria, one of the adjacent lakes.
In “Gladiator University” by Jennifer Marino Walters, it states in paragraph number three that scientists discovered a Carnuntum ludus “by using noninvasive techniques such as aerial (taken from an aircraft) photography and ground-penetrating radar.” and “they also attached an electromagnetic sensor to a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle that allowed them to locate hidden bricks
The Truth Behind: Atlantis Documentary focuses on both supporting and debunking the existence of Atlantis at either the Bahamas, Crete, Knossos, or Thera/Santorini. Throughout this paper I will be deliberating how archeology works at these stated sites, how archeology impacts society as a whole in the context of Atlantis in regards to the modern day fascination and obsession with this seeming mystery, and how archaeological knowledge is acquired and conveyed at the site in order to substantiate certain theories about the past location or Atlantis. Analyzing all of these facets will allow me to think critically about archeology and evidently the archaeological concepts we’ve discussed throughout the course. Atlantis, within this movie, demonstrates
In very recent years the advances in science and technology we have made have been incredible; from cloning sheep and human tissue to almost completing the human genome, the scientific community has taken great steps with the help of technology. One such area in this community is the study of geology. Computers aid geologists in determining the best places to drill for oil and natural gas, along with trying to determine mineral deposits and the compositions of rocks. Now, computers have the capacity to infer information from limited data collected in the field. Now, in the paleontological sense, we have the technology to simulate the sounds that prehistoric creatures might have produced so long ago.
Hackmann, Willem Dirk. “SONAR.” Encyclopedia of World War II. Vol. 2. New York: Facts on File, 2007. Modern World History Online. Web. 21 Mar. 2012. .
Archaeologist Who Found Titanic." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
How would you go about mapping sea floor when visual methods are impaired with the inability of light to penetrate water? Use a different method to measure it, using a wavelength that can penetrate the depth of the sea. Sound waves can penetrate the deepest depths of the ocean using special equipment produced by the military and commercial companies such as sonar to measure the ocean bottom.