Diving into History
Nautical archaeology? That's about shipwrecks isn't it?!
A much better definition of nautical archaeology is 'Anything Wet!'
Now,thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the NAS through its Diving Into History initiative is going to boldly take that message where it has never gone before - into schools, youth groups and adult organisations that have so far had little contact with our maritime heritage.
The misconception - that nautical archaeology is only concerned with shipwrecks - may prevent the public at large in their maritime heritage. Of course, the linked misconception is that diving skills are required to become involved.
Few people in Britain live more than a few miles from an example of our maritime past. It is not just our seas, but our rivers, canals and lakes, and the facilities such as ports, warehouses and factories that make up that heritage.
It is however, much more than that. It includes the people who used, made, crewed and built that heritage -without them the ships could not sail, factories would produce nothing and great voyages of exploration would not have happened.
Even in our 'everyday life' we are in contact with our maritime past.
Phrases like 'a square meal' and 'show a leg' directly link us to the Navy of Admiral Nelson, and whilst now we all like to think of ourselves as 'posh' the word is actually an acronym for 'Port Out - Starboard Home' – the cabins of choice on transatlantic voyage (and an indication of social status)!
So come with us into our past, and see how our maritime heritage involves you. You can 'Dive Into History' without getting wet!'
Getting Involved
If you are a diver or sailor or
simply have an interest in things maritime, historical or
archaeological, these problems offer you an opportunity
to get involved, because:
- We know very little about many of
the wrecks that are regularly dived by sport divers - their
condition and precise location is often poorly recorded, never
mind an assessment of their importance to the cultural and
archaeological record!
- Many wrecks are beginning to
break up and we are losing the opportunity of recording them
before they finally collapse. After the point of collapse it
becomes much more difficult to record these sites and build an
accurate picture of the original vessels.
Or, if you are a Teacher, Youth Leader or Member of a club or society that invites guest speakers, then we want to hear from you.
Contact Us 
Also, please check the link below for upcoming 'DIH' events and talks. If you cannot find one that is close - why not organise a presentation for your group??
Diary
While the above focus on
underwater activity, there is also a range of land based work.
Sympathetic studies on the remains of waterfronts and the
maritime related industries are important to understanding how
towns or entire regions developed economically. Derelict vessels
('hulks') that have been beached or built into harbour works are
also a good place to study a range of ship design features
without getting wet!
Objectives
The Diving with a purpose scheme
aims to correct some of the problems by encouraging you to keep a
record of what you see, and monitor how sites change over time.
These records can be shared with others through the scheme,
and can:
- Enhance the understanding and appreciation of our maritime
heritage by all by providing information on a variety of maritime
sites for members of the general public.
- Help divers get more enjoyment out of their sport.
- Help understand the impact of natural and human activity on
our maritime heritage.
You will also be providing
information for the official records of various organisations.
This is important in ensuring that sites are considered in
planning for national parks and engineering works. Organisations
include:
- Local organisations such as the Dorset Coast Forum and the
Dorset Wildlife Trust
- National bodies, including the Royal Commision on the Historic
Monuments of England (now part of English Heritage) and the Joint
Nature Conservancy Council.
The process of recording and
disseminating information about sites fills a real archaeological
need. It serves as the starting point for any long-term
management or preservation strategy, and raises the profile of
our nautical heritage.
What if I am a Diver?
Adopt a Wreck
This is aimed at those groups,
clubs or individuals who regularly dive a site, have developed
more than a passing interest in it, and are keen to get involved
in research or site survey. This scheme will appeal to those
wanting to take on a club project that will have a genuine
scientific outcome. Information resulting from these projects
will then be passed, with the name of the contributor, to the
appropriate agency. An index of wreck sites that have already
been adopted is provided below:
Adopted wreck sites
Combined Benefit
Whatever the level of commitment,
all of the projects aim to collect information relating to the
'wildlife', and general site information. The NAS is primarily
interested in information relating to wreck structures, while
organisations such as the Dorset Wildlife Trust will be
concentrating on collecting 'biological' information specific
to the Dorset coast.
As the information relating to
the 'wildlife' of a site can vary from area to area we intend to
design slates which relate to individual areas. We have even
designed a slate for 'Horsea Island', the inland dive site we use
for some of our courses just to the north of Portsmouth.
It is the intention that the information
collected will be added to the Maritime Sites and Monuments
Record and the Joint Nature Conservancy Council Databases. The A5
Dive Slate aims to gather information for both disciplines.
Above right: Photomicrograph of a hydrozoan growing
on the Thesis; image taken as part of the NAS SOMAP project.
Stoney Cove - Past, Present & Future
Following on from a very successful ‘Mini Summer School’, eight divers from Lutterworth Sub-Aqua Club, NAS volunteers, members of the Stoney Stanton Heritage Group and the Leicestershire Industrial Archaeology Society met at Stoney Cove to participate in a project intended to quantify the remaining archaeology from the quarrying period.
 Yes, there IS archaeology in Stoney Cove! In a hectic six days of diving, ten sites in the Cove were assessed, and a start was made on the terrestrial archaeology (the transportation system) close by. Sterling work was also done by LIAS in interpreting historical documents.
Above: Clear Base Line – Mike Sharland hunts for railway lines.
The image was taken by Erica Clarke.
So what was found? A ‘blockhouse’ (thought to be used as a dynamite store) has now been shown to be the remains of a weighbridge, the stones covering the 6m shelf actually covers part of the extensive railway siding system used by the quarry (and this was buried before the quarry fell out of use), the base for the old conveyor system are still in place… In fact, enough archaeology has been found to warrant the formation of a ‘Diver Trail’ (Watch this space for news of funding).
The project now forms the basis for an extended funding application which will involve draining the quarry – virtually!
In addition, Lutterworth SAC are going to continue the good work, and will submit the results as a group ‘Part II’ Project.
Our sincere thanks to all involved for their enthusiasm and hard work.
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