Tamsyn Smith

Boat burials in Scandinavia

In this article, Esther Unterweger explains the importance of boat burials in Scandinavia. On account of the diversity of rituals one encounters through the archaeological, iconographic or textual record, it becomes clear that a boat or ship occupied an important role in various rituals reaching far back in the history of Scandinavia. Continue reading →

Swallowed by the Sea: Heracleion, Egypt

Rarely do maritime archaeologists have the opportunity to explore settlements submerged underwater where the outline of the original settlement still remains largely intact. The city of Heracleion located off the western shores of the Nile Delta, Egypt, is one such site that offers substantial submerged archaeological remains. Continue reading →

Ports and harbours

A port, a harbour or an anchorage place? Essentially a place to safely moor your boat or ship. These critical points of contact and exchange, interfaces between different cultures, located between land and sea, have been relatively little studied by archaeologists in the past, until recently. Seminal works on harbours were published by Blackman in 1982 in the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Continue reading →

UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology

The UNITWIN Network (University Twinning and Networking Programme) for Underwater Archaeology was established in 2012. It aims to increase capacity in the participating countries through international cooperation. In accordance with the UNESCO 2001 Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, it aims to enhance the protection of, and research into, underwater cultural heritage. Continue reading →

Shipwreck: Empress of Ireland

Built by the Fairfield Shipping Company of Scotland and launched in 1906, The Empress of Ireland and her sister ship, the Empress of Britain were steam liners built for the transatlantic trade. At 14,000 tonnes in weight and with a length of 550ft (167m), the liners would routinely make the trip from Liverpool to Quebec in six days at a speed of 20 knots. Each ship was designed with watertight doors so that it would float if any two compartments flooded. Continue reading →

Have you found any gold yet? Misconceptions in Maritime Archaeology

Any field of work attracts misconceptions, but the romance and mystery of maritime archaeology provides the perfect bed for a wide range of assumptions about what maritime archaeology covers, what we can learn through the material record and how we go about making discoveries. What we aren’t Maritime archaeology is the study of people’s changing relationship with the sea and connected waterways through material they left behind. Continue reading →

Shipwreck: SS Richard Montgomery

When asked which shipwreck is my favourite shipwreck the SS Richard Montgomery immediately sprang to mind. The WW2 liberty ship has been quietly sat atop Sheerness Middle Sand bank within the outer Thames Estuary since 1944. Sandwiched between two shipping channels, her masts eerily protrude from the water’s surface and carry warning signs of her dangerous nature. Continue reading →

Reflections on Archaeological SCUBA Diving and Sharks

SCUBA dive shop owners who have been in business since the 1970s all share first-hand the devastating impact the 1975 release of the blockbuster summer film ‘Jaws’ had on their business. Almost 4 decades later, most of us have seen this iconic film and if honest, confess its impact on our own ‘healthy’ (or unfortunately, misinformed unhealthy!) fear of sharks. Continue reading →

Dutch Schooner the Fenna

Dutch Schooner Fenna lost 11th March 1881. Video footage courtesy of New Forest National Park Authority. http://youtu.be/6rs7nHNl5tk With thanks to the Maritime Archaeology Trust (formerly The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology) for the use of their archive footage. The Fenna was a two-masted Dutch schooner of 172 tons constructed of timber in 1863. En route to Italy from the Netherlands, severe weather conditions caused the 18 year old vessel to leak badly. Continue reading →

Would you like to have an advanced look at our course?

We're hosting a user testing session on Wednesday 24th September from 1-5pm at the Centre for Maritime Archaeology in Southampton. This is a unique opportunity for 20 learners to meet some members of the course team and give feedback before the course goes live on October 6th. In order to take part, you must have registered with FutureLearn and be able to be in Southampton at the specified time. If you would like to book a place, please email mmooc@soton.ac. Continue reading →

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