"A major step forward in the effort to create and synthesize a body of formation theory for shipwreck sites by cataloguing the myriad factors affecting such sites across a number of academic fields, ranging from geology and oceanography to history and sociology."--John M. O’Shea, author of Ships and Shipwrecks of the Au Sable Shores Region of Western Lake Huron

"Multidisciplinary and international, this outstanding volume is simply the best single source available for shipwreck site formation processes. It should be in the working library of every underwater archaeologist and site manager."--Larry Murphy, Chief (ret.), US National Park Service Submerged Resources Center


In this first volume to comprehensively catalogue the many physical and cultural processes affecting the development of shipwreck sites, Matthew Keith brings together experts in diverse fields such as geology, soil and wood chemistry, micro- and marine biology, and sediment dynamics. The case studies examine the natural and anthropogenic processes--corrosion and degradation, fishing and trawling--that contribute to the present condition of shipwreck sites.

The contributors address the many factors that influence the formation and preservation of shipwreck sites: the materials from which the ship was built, the underwater environment, and subsequent events such as human activity, storms, and chemical reactions, and discuss the impact these varied and often overlapping events have on the archaeological record.

Offering an in-depth analysis of emerging technologies and methods--acoustic positioning, computer modeling, and site reconstruction--this is essential reading for the research and preservation of submerged heritage sites.


Published in cooperation with the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Matthew E. Keith is vice president and geoscience manager of TESLA Offshore, LLC.

Sample Chapter(s):

Table of Contents

Excerpt

Especially welcome. . . . Emphasizes the continuing importance of formation-process theory and its practical application I the interpretation and management of shipwreck sites.
--International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

Provides an excellent introduction to the formation of shipwrecks from physical processes, such as the tidal scour of sediments, to human factors, such as salvage, as well as some of the heritage-management issues raised by the intensification of offshore human activities.
--Antiquity