Marine Archaeology Research Articles

Fuel cell systems for long-endurance autonomous underwater vehicles – challenges and benefits

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are programmable, robotic vehicles that can drift, drive, or glide through the ocean without real-time control by human operators. AUVs that also can follow a planned trajectory with a chosen depth profile are used for geophysical surveys, subsea pipeline inspection, marine archaeology, and more. Most AUVs are followed by a mother ship that adds significantly to the cost of an AUV mission. One pathway to reduce this need is to develop long-endurance AUVs by improving navigation, autonomy and energy storage. Long-endurance AUVs can open up for more challenging mission types than what is possible today. Fuel cell systems are a key technology for increasing the endurance of AUVs beyond the capability of batteries. However, several challenges exist for underwater operation of fuel cell systems. These are related to storage or generation of hydrogen and oxygen, buoyancy and trim, and the demanding environment of the ambient seawater. Protecting the fuel cell inside a sealed container brings along more challenges related to condensation, cooling and accumulation of inert gases or reactants. This paper elaborates on these technical challenges and describes the solutions that the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) has chosen in its development of a fuel cell system for long-endurance AUVs. The reported solutions enabled a 24 h demonstration of FFI's fuel cell system under water. The remaining work towards a prototype sea trial is outlined.

Marine Archaeology Survey in Support of Galveston Island State Park Marsh Restoration and Protection Project Galveston County, Texas

BOB Hydrographics, LLC conducted a marine geophysical survey and archaeological assessment of a proposed construction access channel in Galveston County, on behalf of HDR Engineering, Inc. A proposed 25-acre bay access channel would cross portions of State Mineral Lease Tracts, West Bay 59, 65 and 66 in West Galveston Bay. The channel would provide construction access to build a breakwater for the Galveston Island State Park Marsh Protection and Restoration Project, sponsored by the General Land Office. An archaeological survey was requested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, based on their review of Permit Application SWG-1998-02298. Consultation between the Texas Historical Commission and the Galveston District concluded that archaeological survey only would be required for the channel providing access from the bay to the island and not for areas adjacent and including the proposed breakwaters. The area of potential effect encompasses 70 acres, including a 50-meter buffer mandated by the Texas Historical Commission around the proposed channel. A review of cultural background determined that 1 marine archaeological investigation and, at least, 1 wreck have been reported within 3 miles of the survey area. BOB completed a marine geophysical survey on May 9, 2019 under Texas Antiquities Permit 8906. A total of 140 acres was surveyed to provide options for adjusting the route if necessary. Water depth at the time of the survey ranged from 4 to 9 feet. BOB assessed all geophysical data to locate archaeological sites potentially affected by construction of the access channel. No artifacts were collected during the survey. No significant geophysical targets were discovered that might be potentially eligible for the State Antiquities Landmark or for the National Register of Historic Places. BOB recommends cultural resource clearance for all areas surveyed, provided that a THC-mandated 50-meter buffer is honored around the perimeter of the survey area. This study was completed in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Public Law 89-665; 16 U.S.C. 470) and the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191). The minimum reporting and survey requirements for marine archaeological studies conducted under a Texas Antiquities Permit are mandated by The Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Part 2, Chapters 26 and 28, respectively. Project records are curated at the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Marine Archaeology Survey of Redfish Bay Pipeline Project, Nueces County, Texas

BOB Hydrographics, LLC (BOB) conducted a marine archaeological survey of a proposed pipeline project crossing Redfish Bay, in Nueces County. Project Consulting Services, Inc. contracted with BOB for this project, on behalf of the project sponsor, Axis Midstream Holdings, LLC. The survey spans portions of State Mineral Lease Tracts 321, 324, 325, 326, 327, and 328 between the community of Aransas Pass and Harbor Island. The Area of Potential Effect (APE) encompasses 203 acres. A total of 299 acres was surveyed, including petroleum-industry access channels connected to each end of the main survey corridor and a 50-meter buffer around the proposed APE as mandated by the Texas Historical Commission. Water depth ranged from 2.9-11.7 feet during the survey. Field investigations included a marine geophysical survey, performed under Texas Antiquities Permit 8645, on November 16 and 17, 2018. BOB assessed all geophysical data acquired by the survey to locate potential archaeological sites that could be affected by construction-related activities. No artifacts were collected during this survey. A review of cultural background determined that 5 marine archaeological investigations and, at least, 9 wrecks have been reported within 3 miles of the survey area. Analysis of survey results discovered 3 significant geophysical targets that might be potentially eligible as State Antiquities Landmarks and for the National Register of Historic Places. This study was completed in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (Public Law 89-665; 16 U.S.C. 470) and the Antiquities Code of Texas (Texas Natural Resource Code, Title 9, Chapter 191). The minimum reporting and survey requirements for marine archaeological studies conducted under a Texas Antiquities Permit are mandated by The Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Part 2, Chapters 26 and 28, respectively. Project records will be curated by the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University-San Marcos.

Marine Archaeology Assessment in Support of the Bluewater SPM Project, Nueces and Aransas Counties, Texas and Adjoining Federal Waters

Marine Archaeology Assessment in Support of the Bluewater SPM Project, Nueces and Aransas Counties, Texas and Adjoining Federal Waters

Analysis of Doppler Effects in Underwater Acoustic Channels using Parabolic Expansion Modeling

Underwater communication systems play an important role in understanding various phenomena that take place within our vast oceans. They can be used as an integral tool in countless applications ranging from environmental monitoring to gathering of oceanographic data, marine archaeology, and search and rescue missions. Acoustic Communication is the viable solution for communication in highly attenuating underwater environment. However, these systems pose a number of challenges for reliable data transmission. Nonnegligible Doppler Effect emerges as a major factor. In order to support reliable high data rate communication, understanding the channel behavior is required. As sea trials are expensive, simulators are required to study the channel behavior. Modeling this channel involves solution to wave equations and validation with experimental data for that portion of the sea. Parabolic expansion model is a wave theory based acoustic channel model. This model applies Pade coefficients and Fourier coefficients as expansion functions to solve the wave equations. This work attempts to characterize the impact of Doppler Effect in the underwater acoustic channel using parabolic expansion models.

Newsround

AbstractNewsround’ offers a platform for new data which do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year's Archaeological Reports but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives. This section is not intended to be exhaustive, but is designed, rather, to highlight recent discoveries in a way which complements digital content made available through Archaeology in Greece Online (https://chronique.efa.gr). The very varied nature of this material has meant that, for the most part, it has proved preferable to organize this section chronologically, although dedicated sections are provided for the inclusion of both marine archaeology and archaeological survey.

Five Decades of Marine Archaeology in Israel

AbstractThe history of maritime archaeology in Israel began in the 1950s. This article summarizes the emergence of the discipline and its evolution, the main institutions involved, the physical conditions and their influence on the nature of ancient maritime activity, the nature of the sites, site formation, post-deposition processes, and the associated methodologies of underwater archaeological research. The typology of sites and significant finds that have been studied are briefly reviewed. These range from submerged Neolithic settlements inundated by the post-glacial rising sea level, harbors, anchorages, shipwrecks, and cargoes up to World War II.

Report on International Conference on Maritime Archaeology with Special Reference to Indian Ocean countries & 10th Biannual Conference of Society for Marine Archaeology, NIO, Goa

Report on International Conference on Maritime Archaeology with Special Reference to Indian Ocean countries & 10th Biannual Conference of Society for Marine Archaeology, NIO, Goa

Reflecting on the Design Process for Virtual Reality Applications

ABSTRACTA reflective analysis on the experience of virtual environment (VE) design is presented focusing on the human–computer interaction (HCI) challenges presented by virtual reality (VR). HCI design guidelines were applied to development of two VRs, one in marine archaeology and the other in situation awareness simulation experiments. The impact of methods and HCI knowledge on the VR design process is analyzed, leading to proposals for presenting HCI and cognitive knowledge in the context of design trade-offs in the choice of VR design techniques. Problems reconciling VE and standard Graphical User Interface (GUI) design components are investigated. A trade-off framework for design options set against criteria for usability, efficient operation, realism, and presence is proposed. HCI-VR design advice and proposals for further research aimed towards improving human factor-related design in VEs are discussed.

Newsround

‘Newsround’ offers a platform for the presentation of new data which do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year's Archaeological Reports, but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives. This section is not intended to be exhaustive; rather, it is designed to highlight recent discoveries in a way which complements digital content made available through AGOnline/Chronique des fouilles en ligne. The very varied nature of this material has meant that, for the most part, it has proved preferable to organize this section chronologically, although dedicated sections are provided for the inclusion of regional histories, marine archaeology and archaeological survey.

SURVEYING THE UNDERWATER ARCAHEOLOGICAL SITE OF CAPE GLAROS AT PAGASETIKOS GULF

Abstract. The Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology (H.I.M.A.)1 has been conducting an underwater archaeological research in the west coast of southern Pagasetikos Gulf, since 2000. Every year the underwater research focuses on specific archaeological targets that have been recovered during previous field campaigns. The current publication elaborates on the comprehensive documentation of the underwater archaeological site at Cape Glaros, during the 2015 field season, under the direction of the archaeologist Elias Spondylis. The 2015 research campaign was conducted within the framework of the ITACA- Innovation Technologies and Applications for Coastal Archaeological sites European Project (FP7/2007-2013, GA No 606805), at two archaeological sites, namely the Cape Glaros and Metohi. It was among the most important challenges of the project to successfully produce the detailed and accurate 3D mapping of the Cape Glaros site that covers an extended area. Four large concentrations of pottery finds and numerous anchors of different typology have been recorded, that can be dated from the late Hellenistic to the Byzantine periods. This challenge was tackled through the simultaneous implementation of three recording methods; photogrammetry, geodesy and conventional architectural mapping. The workflow of the documentation process, including data acquisition, processing and graphic visualization, along with the derived results are presented below. 1The Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology (H.I.M.A.) is a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1973, which undertakes maritime archaeological research under the supervision or in collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture. It has over 100 members, with diverse academic credentials, all of whom work, mainly, on a voluntary basis. 3D recording of underwater archaeological sites has been applied to numerous projects that have been carried out by the multidisciplinary team of H.I.M.A. in locations of utmost archaeological importance and interest, such as Modi island (Poros) and numerous wreck sites in Pagasetikos and South Euboean (Diamanti, Vlachaki, 2015) Gulfs and others.

Scotland's intertidal prehistory

Sea-level rise and coastal change have impacted on the visibility of early to mid-Holocene sites worldwide. Due to the combination of eustatic and isostatic effects, modern coastal landscapes rarely reflect those occupied and exploited by prehistoric people. This suggests that intertidal and marine archaeology is set to become increasingly important in future studies of the coastal populations of prehistoric Britain. Though Scotland’s west coast is renowned for its abundance of evidence for the Mesolithic, the potential for intertidal sites has barely been investigated. We report on a newly discovered raw material source and primary knapping location on the beach and across the intertidal zone at Lub Dubh Aird, Upper Loch Torridon. Our results suggest that a multi-disciplinary approach to investigation into early prehistoric human occupation of the west Scottish coastline – that incorporates survey of intertidal zones together with the upper beach and nearby areas – is essential to fully appreciate the range of sites present and to allow these to be integrated into a better understanding of coastal landscape use at this time.

Newsround

Returning for its third year, the Newsround section offers a platform for new data which do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year's Archaeological Reports, but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives.This section is not intended to be exhaustive, but is designed, rather, to highlight recent discoveries in a way which complements digital content made available through AGOnline. The very varied nature of this material has meant that, for the most part, it has proven preferable to organize this section chronologically, although dedicated sections are provided for the inclusion of both marine archaeology and archaeological survey.

Fishing and Shipwreck Heritage: marine archaeology's greatest threat?Bloomsbury Academic Debates in Archaeology SEAN A. KINGSLEY 152 pp., 20 b&w illustrations Bloomsbury Academic, 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK and 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 100

Fishing and Shipwreck Heritage: marine archaeology's greatest threat?Bloomsbury Academic Debates in Archaeology SEAN A. KINGSLEY 152 pp., 20 b&w illustrations Bloomsbury Academic, 50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP, UK and 1385 Broadway, New York, NY 100

Hydrographic processing considerations in the “Big Data” age: An overview of technology trends in ocean and coastal surveys

The quantity of information generated by survey sensors for ocean and coastal zone mapping has reached the “Big Data” age. This is influenced by the number of survey sensors available to conduct a survey, high data resolution, commercial availability, as well as an increased use of autonomous platforms. The number of users of sophisticated survey information is also growing with the increase in data volume. This is leading to a greater demand and broader use of the processed results, which includes marine archeology, disaster response, and many other applications. Data processing and exchange techniques are evolving to ensure this increased accuracy in acquired data meets the user demand, and leads to an improved understanding of the ocean environment. This includes the use of automated processing, models that maintain the best possible representation of varying resolution data to reduce duplication, as well as data plug-ins and interoperability standards. Through the adoption of interoperable standards, data can be exchanged between stakeholders and used many times in any GIS to support an even wider range of activities. The growing importance of Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) is also contributing to the increased access of marine information to support sustainable use of ocean and coastal environments. This paper offers an industry perspective on trends in hydrographic surveying and processing, and the increased use of marine spatial data.

Characterizing a Debris Field Using Digital Mosaicking and CAD Model Superimposition from Underwater Video

Identifying submerged objects is critical for several disciplines such as marine archaeology and search and rescue. However, identifying objects in underwater searches presents many challenges, particularly if the only data available to analyze is poor-quality video where the videographer did not plan for photogrammetric techniques to be utilized. In this paper, we discuss the use of adaptive sampling of the underwater video to extract sharp still images for stitching and analysis, and creating mosaicked images by identifying and matching local scale-invariant feature transform features using computationally efficient algorithms. Computer aided design models of suspected aircraft components were superimposed, and a feature common in multiple mosaicked images was used to identify a common feature between purported objects to assess goodness of fit. The superimposition method was replicated using landing gear from a reference aircraft and a rope of known dimensions, and favorably compared against the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) analysis results.

Experimental investigation of efficient locomotion of underwater snake robots for lateral undulation and eel-like motion patterns

Underwater snake robots offer many interesting capabilities for underwater operations. The long and slender structure of such robots provide superior capabilities for access through narrow openings and within confined areas. This is interesting for inspection and monitoring operations, for instance within the subsea oil and gas industry and within marine archeology. In addition, underwater snake robots can provide both inspection and intervention capabilities and are thus interesting candidates for the next generation inspection and intervention AUVs. Furthermore, bioinspired locomotion through oscillatory gaits, like lateral undulation and eel-like motion, is interesting from an energy efficiency point of view. Increasing the motion efficiency in terms of the achieved forward speed by improving the method of propulsion is a key issue for underwater robots. Moreover, energy efficiency is one of the main challenges for long-term autonomy of these systems. In this study, we will consider both these two aspects of efficiency. This paper considers the energy efficiency of swimming snake robots by presenting and experimentally investigating fundamental properties of the velocity and the power consumption of an underwater snake robot for both lateral undulation and eel-like motion patterns. In particular, we investigate the relationship between the parameters of the gait patterns, the forward velocity and the energy consumption for different motion patterns. The simulation and experimental results are seen to support the theoretical findings.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40638-015-0029-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A participação em museus

Este artigo tem como objeto um estudo cultural de recepção realizado com crianças, em Santos (SP/Brasil), para a musealização da arqueologia marítima nesta cidade. A pesquisa foi realizada com estudantes de 9 anos de uma escola pública do município e teve pressupostos teóricos da comunicação em museus e a arqueologia pública. Durante seis meses aplicou-se um multimétodo de intervenções que teve os temas museu, porto, arqueologia e arqueologia subaquática como norteadores da coleta de informações. A investigação dialoga com as propostas de musealização contemporâneas que valorizam a participação do público no processo de preservação do patrimônio.

3D RECORDING OF UNDERWATER ANTIQUITIES IN THE SOUTH EUBOEAN GULF

Abstract. An underwater archaeological survey was initiated in 2006 by the Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology in collaboration with the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece, in the South Euboean Gulf. The survey is being conducted under the direction of the archaeologist Dr G. Koutsouflakis and in the course of the project important shipwrecks of Classical, Roman, and Byzantine periods have been brought to light, adding tangible evidence on ancient seafaring and maritime trade. The South Euboean Gulf archaeological survey has presented many challenges to the documentation team of H.I.M.A, and has served as a case-study for 3D recording applied on ancient wrecks, found at medium depths (22-47m) and under the conditions that are imposed during an archaeological survey of a certain geographical region. This paper focuses on the implementation of photogrammetric and geodetic techniques used for acquisition and processing of collected data, in order to generate 3D models for six different wrecks, resulting in a fast, reliable and cost efficient method to record underwater archaeological sites.

Visualizing and Assessing Hypotheses for Marine Archaeology in a VR CAVE Environment

The understanding and reconstruction of a wrecks formation process can be a complicated procedure that needs to take into account many interrelated components. The team of the University of Cyprus investigating the 4th-century BC Mazotos shipwreck are unable to interact easily and intuitively with the recorded data, a fact that impedes visualization and reconstruction and subsequently delays the evaluation of their hypotheses. An immersive 3D visualization application that utilizes a VR CAVE was developed, with the intent to enable researchers to mine the wealth of information this ancient shipwreck has to offer. Through the implementation and evaluation of the proposed application, this research seeks to investigate whether such an environment can aid the interpretation and analysis process and ultimately serve as an additional scientific tool for underwater archaeology.