Hans Van Tilburg

Maritime archaeology : a reader of substantive and theoretical contributions

The Field: Underwater Archaeology: The Fos Underwater Excavations R. Baucaire. The Secular Debate: Underwater Archaeology, European Versus American J.L. Shiner. Ethics and the Great Debate: The Worlds Worst Investment: The Economics of Treasure Hunting with Real-Life Comparisons P. Throckmorton. Areal Studies: The Mediterranean: Bibliography. Northern Europe: Bibliography. The Caribbean: Bibliography. The Pacific Rim: Current Status of Underwater Archaeology in Malaysia A.H. Taha. The Arabic World: Bibliography. Africa: Bibliography. Research Design: Hypotheses Building: Theory: Finding Sites: Site Location Factors: Site Formation Processes: Survey Methodology: High Technology: History of Going Underwater: Magnetometer: Sonar: Mapping and Recording: Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV): Site Significance: Significance: Specific Criteria: Data Recovery: Pre-Excavation Recording: Sampling: Extreme Date Recovery Conditions: Conservation: Interpretation and Exhibition: Interpretation: Exhibition: 44 Additional Articles. Appendices: Archaeological Organizations and Journals. General Bibliographical Sources for 17th Through 19th Centuries. Index.

The lost flying boat of Kaneohe Bay: Archaeology of the first U. S. casualties of Pearl Harbor

Can archaeology add to the narrative of the Japanese attack on the U. S. Naval and Air installations in Hawaii, 7 December 1941, or is this event too recent and historically well documented to benefit from the tools of archaeology? One answer to this question lies at the bottom of Kaneohe Bay, some 25 mi. (40 km) from the famed U. S. Naval base of Pearl Harbor. In June and July 1994, East Carolina University, the Marine Option Program of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the National Park Service co-sponsored an unusual field school. The project called for a pre-disturbance survey and archaeological documentation of a sunken flying boat recently located by U. S. Marine Corps divers near the Naval Air Station in Kaneohe Bay on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. Our purpose was to document and identify the abandoned craft and ascertain whether it had been destroyed as a result of the Japanese attack on Oahu, 7 December 1941. Yet the project achieved far more than this, revealing for the first time in 53 years what was not seen or heard through the smoke and thunder of that battle; a patrol crew’s gallant effort to save their craft.

Underwater Archaeology, Hawaiian Style

It would be hard to imagine a spot on the globe more intimately involved with maritime history and associated technologies than the islands of Hawaii. From their original discovery and settlement by voyaging Polynesians, their importance in the sandalwood and whaling trades, and the more recent remains left behind by World War II in the Pacific, the Hawaiian Island chain has accumulated a material record of at least 1500 years of maritime activity. Of course, much has decayed, turned into reef through biological processes, floated away, or otherwise smashed against solid rock cliffs and broken into unrecognizable pieces. What remains of the submerged material record testifies to Hawaii’s uniquely diverse maritime traditions. The investigation of this record is relatively new but, most assuredly, there is more than just surfing in the islands of Hawaii.

Remote Operating Vehicle (ROV)

United States government and individual states mandate reporting on cultural resources in areas which are subject to development. The requirement that an archaeological survey is necessary to obtain permits for construction in the maritime environment has produced a huge number of reports. Unfortunately, these reports are not given widespread distribution and some were limited to fewer than twenty copies. This lack of distribution makes generalizations about areal studies difficult because, while the data have, in many cases, been collected, the information is not readily available. The best sources for obtaining information about areal studies along rivers and in coastal areas are the state archaeologists of the various states and the district offices of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Included in this section are some reports as well as materials related to survey such as geographical analysis and positioning systems.

The Mediterranean: Bibliography

The Mediterranean Sea is especially well known, especially those sites which were readily accessible to sport divers. No presentations are made for this area because the sites are so well known and some sites are dealt with in sections dealing with the history of underwater archaeology.

The Caribbean: Bibliography

The Caribbean has been subjected to a great deal of reporting on underwater sites for a variety of reasons. One of the driving elements has been the search for vessels used in the earliest exploration of the area by Europeans. Another has been the national interest of small states seeking to learn more about their history. The presence of artifacts, often of saleable quality has led salvors into the area as well. The Caribbean area is presented in bibliographic form because it is well known and reporting is fairly good.

The Arabic World: Bibliography

No presentations are made regarding the Arabic World as an areal study. The field work at present is preliminary and often unavailable in English as can be seen in the thinness of the bibliographic section.

Northern Europe: Bibliography

No presentations are made for this area because the topic is well known and represented by large number of publications. Some information is presented in other parts of the text.