Sea Archaeology: The Real Survivors

It takes more than curiosity to excavate archaeological sites underwater. It takes a sense of adventure, an ability to improvise and the resolve to weather weeklong operations anchored offshore. Instead of a shovel, screen and towel (the basic tools of archaeology), sea-going archaeologists also need scuba equipment, air compressors, remote-sensing devices, and suction dredges (left). When a site is found, maybe half of a day's daylight hours will be spent in the water searching and excavating. There are times when the underwater archaeologist must overcome poor visibility, problems with equipment, safety issues, and the weather.

“It's far more of a logistical beast, when you excavate at sea,” said James Dunbar of the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research.

The PaleoAucilla Prehistory Project schedules four five-day excursions to the Gulf of Mexico during each summer's six-week field school session. The project makes use of specially outfitted vessels including the Florida Institute of Oceanography's 72-foot R/V Bellows and the FSU Marine Laboratory's 48-foot R/V Seminole. Nature is not always cooperative with the mission at hand.

During one 2001 excursion, sharks and jellyfish prevented dives on two out of five days. On another day, a storm confronted students and crew with ten-foot seas and 40-knot gusts.

“You have to really want to do this,” explained graduate student Brian Marks, who suffered a bout of seasickness while his colleagues struggled to secure 20-foot long sediment coring tubes during one squall. The experience brought to mind comments made by his undergraduate advisor who, upon hearing that Marks had applied to the FSU Program in Underwater Archaeology, remarked, “Why you would take all the problems involved in doing archaeology out to sea is beyond me.”

The problems are varied. Dives once were postponed while students rebuilt an electric generator. Another time a critical part needed to repair the only marine toilet onboard was airlifted from Panama City and dropped into the sea where waiting swimmers recovered it. It is all taken in stride as part of the experience of doing offshore underwater archaeology.

“These sites are in stark contrast to the upland sites which have been depleted of artifacts,” said project director Michael Faught. “No one has collected (from) these offshore sites.”

“Throw a shovel, screen and trowel in the back of a truck and you can do good terrestrial archaeology,” said Marks. “ But at sea, to overcome all the obstacles and then find a missing piece of the puzzle, well, it's just so much more rewarding.” —J.C.