A Beginner's Underwater Archaeology Glossary

Underwater archaeology is the study of human history and activity through the exploration of submerged sites, shipwrecks, and artifacts. It combines traditional archaeology with diving, marine science, and advanced technology to uncover stories lost beneath oceans, rivers, and lakes. Like many areas of academic study, it also has its own terminology that beginners might need to learn before getting involved in this field.

Amphora: A tall, two-handled ceramic jar used in ancient times to store and carry goods such as oil, wine, or grains. Amphorae are often found at ancient shipwreck sites.

Anchor: A heavy object used to keep a ship from drifting. Anchors, especially old ones made of stone or iron, can be important clues to a ship's origin and time period.

Anoxic Environment: A setting where there is little to no oxygen. These conditions slow down decay, helping to preserve artifacts like wood, rope, and textiles.

Artifact: Any object made or used by humans that holds archaeological value. In underwater archaeology, this could be tools, dishes, coins, weapons, or clothing.

Ballast: Stones, bricks, or other heavy materials placed in a ship's hold to keep it stable. Left behind after a wreck, ballast can help researchers locate or identify a ship.

Baseline: A fixed measuring line laid out at a site to help map the positions of objects and features during underwater excavations

Bathymetry: The study and mapping of seafloor depth and shape. Bathymetric data helps archaeologists understand underwater landscapes and site conditions.

Bow: The front of a ship

Bulkhead: A vertical wall or divider within a ship

Conservation: The careful treatment of artifacts to prevent decay and damage after they're brought out of the water

Deck: The flat surface that forms the "floor" of a ship

Dredge: A tool used to remove sediment from around artifacts during underwater excavations, often powered by water or air

Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV): A device that helps divers move quickly and efficiently through water, useful for covering large sites

Echo Sounder: A sonar device that uses sound waves to determine the depth of water and find underwater features or wrecks

Excavation: The process of carefully digging around, uncovering, and documenting a site. Underwater excavation often requires scuba gear, special tools, and precise techniques.

Grid System: A layout of imaginary or physical squares over a site to help record the exact position of artifacts

Hull: The main body of a ship. Studying the hull's shape and materials can reveal how a ship was built and what it was used for.

Hydrodynamics: The study of how water moves and interacts with submerged objects. It helps archaeologists understand how shipwrecks and artifacts shift over time.

In Situ: A Latin phrase meaning "in the original place." Artifacts found in situ are documented or left where they were discovered to preserve their context.

Lidar: A technology that uses laser light to measure distances and map surfaces. Lidar is useful in shallow waters to detect ruins or shipwrecks hidden by sand or vegetation.

Magnetometer: A tool that detects changes in Earth's magnetic field caused by buried metal objects, like cannons or anchors

Marine Sediment: Layers of mud, sand, or silt on the ocean floor

Mooring: A fixed anchor or tie-down point used to secure boats

Periscope Photography: A method using a long tube with a camera to take photos from the surface of shallow underwater sites, useful when diving isn't possible

Photogrammetry: The process of taking many photos from different angles to create a 3D model of an underwater site or artifact

Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV): A robot operated from a boat on the surface to explore, photograph, or help excavate sites that are too deep for divers

Salvage: The act of recovering items from shipwrecks, often with a focus on financial value. Archaeologists usually approach salvage cautiously, focusing instead on preservation and research.

Scuba: Short for "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus." Scuba gear allows divers to stay underwater for extended periods while studying sites.

Site Plan: A detailed map or drawing showing the location of artifacts and features at an underwater site

Sonar: Short for "sound navigation and ranging." Sonar is used to find and map underwater objects by bouncing sound waves off of the seafloor.

Stern: The back of a ship

Stratigraphy: The study of sediment layers. Stratigraphy helps archaeologists understand the order in which things were deposited and how a site developed over time.

Survey: A preliminary exploration of an underwater area to identify possible sites or features of interest before excavation begins

Timber Sampling: Taking small pieces of wood from a shipwreck to analyze what kind of tree it came from and estimate when it was cut

Trench: A narrow section of an excavation, often dug to examine layers of soil or explore the layout of a site

Wreck: A sunken or destroyed ship. Wrecks often serve as time capsules filled with clues about the people, cargo, and events of the past.

Additional Resources

• What Is Underwater Archaeology?
• Underwater Archaeology and Why it Matters
• Understanding Underwater Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology and its Challenges
• The Antikythera Shipwreck
• 3D Models of Underwater Sites and Artifacts
• An Ancient Roman Shipwreck May Explain the Universe
• Striking Images Reveal Depths of Titanic's Slow Decay
• How Thonis-Heracleion Resurfaced After 1,000 Years Underwater
• Atlit Yam, a Journey Into Israel's Sunken Past
• Submerged 7,000-Year-Old Discovery Shows Potential of Underwater Archaeology
• Archaeologists Uncover Remnants of History Lost at the Bottom of the Adriatic Sea