Formation processes affecting submerged archaeological sites:An overview

Abstract

Although the formation processes operating on submerged archaeological sites are just as varied as those affecting terrestrial ones, nautical archaeologists have not yet devoted much attention to them. Most studies to date are concerned with formation processes at particular sites. This article provides an overview of the major depositional and postdepositional formation processes affecting underwater sites. The most obvious depositional process is shipwreck, which takes several different forms. Submerged sites may also be formed by the drowning of coastal areas due to tectonic or eustatic sea level changes. In these cases, rapid submergence preserves sites better than slow inundation, which allows time for waves and currents to tear the site apart. For both shipwrecks and coastal sites, once submergence occurs, the single most important factor for preservation is rapid burial by sediment. A cover of sediment protects both the artifacts themselves and their spatial patterning from destruction by water and marine organisms. Once deposited, underwater sites are subject to modification by both cultural and natural processes. The best understood postdepositional processes include salvaging, treasure hunting, and destruction by marine borers. Others, such as dredging, construction, and bioturbation, have hardly been investigated at this time. Archaeologists need to devote more attention to the effects of marine animals that live in close association with the seabed, as well as marine plants, whose roots may disturb sites located in shallow water. From this study it is clear that maritime archaeologists must consider formation processes when planning projects, rather than thinking of underwater sites as simply “time capsules.” © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.