Development of Tools and Techniques to Survey, Assess, Stabilise, Monitor and Preserve Underwater Archaeological Sites FP 7, Cooperation, Theme 6, Environment (including climate change) SME-targeted Collaborative Project David Gregory (Coordinator) The National Museum of Denmark EU-UNESCO Information Meeting on Underwater Cultural Heritage, European Parliament, Brussels,

Protection of underwater cultural heritage Valetta Treaty (1992) – European law ICOMOS Charter (1996) UNESCO Convention (2001) ”The preservation of underwater cultural heritage in situ should be considered as a first option.” ”Non- destructive techniques, non-intrusive survey and sampling should be encouraged in preference to excavation.” Develop methods to locate & assess sites Develop “proof of concept” equipment for non destructive / intrusive investigation Produce Guidelines for informed management of underwater cultural heritage

Archaeological Site Management: Underwater Cultural Heritage What is there? Where is it? State of preservation of sites / materials? How can we best preserve it (excavation vs in situ)? Monitoring of sites preserved in situ

Case study areas: Shallow coastal sites

What is there? Downscaling concept

Stripping back layers of history: Geological models Use of sub bottom profiling to ”strip back” geological layers to see events that took place. In combination with coring and C14 dating enables reconstruction of sealevel curves, revealing Transgression and regresssion history of the sea University of Patras (Greece) Geological Survey of Denmark & Greenland

6,000 BC Sealevel 8m lower than present Output: Enables reconstruction of palaeo coastlines through time

Output: Proof of concept of 3D Sub bottom profiler

Up scaling: Site specific Pictures, National Museum of Denmark, Viking Ship Museum/DK

Open seawater Open Seawater Physical Scour due to effects of currents Biological Activity of wood borers Seabed Biological Anaerobic microbial decay of materials Upscaling: Groundtruthing & Assessing Potential threats

Open Water Datalogger Conductivity (salinity) Temperature Dissolved oxygen Water current data (Scour)

Sediment In situ profiler Logging of dissolved oxygen, pH, sulphide, redox potential and temperature down to 50cm

13 Sedimentcoring: Vibracorer Sediment coring: Vibracorer Sediment sampling with corer – so far succesful in range of sediment types to 2m depth

Assessment of the state of preservation of waterlogged archaeological wood in situ (WP4) Output: Proof of concept of device for the non destructive testing of wood

Tools and techniques to raise waterlogged organic archaeological artefacts (WP5) How can we best preserve sites (excavation vs in situ)? (excavation vs in situ)? Often encounter complex and fragile degraded artefacts underwater

Block lifting Supporting techniques Consolidating artefacts in sediments

In situ stabilisation of underwater archaeological sites Artificial seagrass to prevent sediment erosion How can we best preserve sites (excavation vs in situ)? (excavation vs in situ)? Edge weighted Mats Sand bag (Low profile) weighted mats (The project has also looked at deterioration of plastics in the marine environment)

Outputs of project Proof of concept of tools & methods What is there & where is it? State of preservation of sites / materials Excavation (Lifting) In situ protection

Guidelines: Management Process Overview of Methods

Archaeologists, geologists, conservators, GIS, geophysicists, wood scientists Aimed at SMEs >30% of total budget (4 in project) National Museum of Denmark Seabed Scour Control Systems (UK) University of Patras (Greece) AKUT (Denmark) Superior Institute for Conservation & Restoration (Italy) Unisense (Denmark) Innomar (Germany)) (Sweden) Geological Survey of Denmark & Greenland Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency (The Netherlands) The Viking Ship Museum (Denmark) Consortium : Partners in the project

Thank you for your attention The project is supported by EU grant under FP7. Thanks to the project officers Attilio Gambardella & Emanuela De Menna.