Submerged prehistory and anthropological archaeology: Do underwater studies contribute to theory?

Abstract

While underwater archaeology has been practiced for decades, there is a resurgence in the field moving beyond shipwrecks to investigate sites of great antiquity. Over 50 years ago, archaeologists demonstrated that underwater research could be conducted to the same standards as on land and it produced unique data. Beyond data, however, submerged prehistory has contributed little to the theoretical side of archaeology or anthropology despite that fact that submerged landscapes relate to some of the most significant questions in human history. The field of underwater prehistory and its relation to anthropology parallels obstacles faced by terrestrial prehistoric archaeologists in the 1950s–1970s, when archaeology fought to contribute to anthropological theory. Now, submerged prehistory is in a similar boat, it can contribute unique and novel data to address some of not just archaeology’s, but anthropology’s biggest questions, but its potential has yet to be realized. This paper explores the trajectory of submerged prehistoric research at the start of its integration into anthropology and explores the areas where it is likely to contribute to anthropological theory.