Archeological Assessment of Two Naval Battlefields in Çeşme and Sinop, Turkey

Abstract

A marine survey was conducted to reveal the maritime cultural heritage of the naval battlefields of Cesme (1770) and Sinop (1853). The seafloor of the battle sites was mapped using a high-resolution side-scan sonar revealing the location of shipwreck remains and some potential sites of interest. The findings associated with the battles were identified by comparing their locations with historical charts and documents. Sonar imaging indicated that this cultural heritage has been heavily damaged by modern fishing and anchoring activities, as well as by natural sedimentation. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combined archeology, history, and geophysics, these two lesser known naval battlefields were studied scientifically for the first time as maritime cultural heritage sites and a preliminary interpretation of the findings is presented in this paper. Aside from their historical importance, these battlefields have great archeological value, because they harbor the last known samples of warships from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries located on Turkish coasts. Considering that these rare cultural material remains are under threat, new regulations were suggested for both their protection and management and the site was brought to the attention of the authorities.