What is Underwater Archaeology?
Underwater, marine, maritime, or nautical archaeology is simply archaeology done under the water. Shipwrecks are the most common type of site studied, but harbor and dock remains, fishing structures, and flooded land sites also may be investigated. Where terrestrial (land) archaeologists use trucks to get to their sites, underwater archaeologists use scuba gear. Together with cultural and physical anthropology and linguistics, archaeology – both on land and underwater – is a subfield of the science of anthropology, the study of humankind. Basically, the tools, techniques, and products are the same no matter where one works, although different environments may require adaptations to the task at hand. But the goals are the same: understanding our past. Thanks to the longest coastline in the continental United States and hundreds of lakes, springs, and rivers, Florida has many wet sites and opportunities to study the past under water.
