Abstract
The Bahamas has a rich history with nautical archaeology, even if the academic discipline of nautical archaeology is largely unfamiliar to Bahamians. Season 2 of Cooper’s Treasure, a documentary television series released and distributed by Discovery Channel, follows Darrell Miklos and his crew around The Bahamas searching for shipwrecks. Unfortunately, treasure hunting is still a common problem in The Bahamas; piracy is not relegated to the past. Illegal looting and damage constitute a serious threat to the country’s underwater cultural heritage. Accordingly, this study contributes to this discussion by conducting a critical analysis of two television docu-series, Treasure Quest and Cooper’s Treasure and media discussions surrounding nautical archaeology and treasure hunting in The Bahamas. The study finds that media discussions in The Bahamas incorrectly interpret treasure hunting to be part of nautical archaeology. Furthermore, there is a widespread feeling in The Bahamas that treasure hunting is necessary.
Highlights
Much like the enigma of the American dream, treasure hunting is often associated with the attainment of riches and glory
This narrative presents a romanticized perspective of nautical archaeology as studies of previous expeditions of treasure hunting continue to dominate academic discussion
The lack of understanding of the difference between treasure hunting and nautical archaeology by the Bahamian public stems largely from media coverage of treasure hunters and salvagers that does not offer alternate academic or scientific perspectives. In countries such as The Bahamas, nautical archaeology is incorrectly interpreted as treasure hunting, which creates the impression that treasure hunters are indispensable to the Bahamian economy
Summary
Much like the enigma of the American dream, treasure hunting is often associated with the attainment of riches and glory. The media continues to interpret treasure hunting as a romanticized and glamorized component of the academic discipline of nautical archaeology The Bahamas, a country in the Caribbean, continues to view treasure hunting and marine salvage as a core component of nautical archaeology because many citizens are not aware of the difference between the two. This paper serves as an introduction to the possibilities for correcting these misconceptions by presenting case studies using examples from the visual (television) and print and online news media
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