Nr. 1 www.machuproject.eu

A A MARITIME MARITIME RESEARCH RESEARCH PROPROJECJECT T FUNDED FUNDED BY BY THETHE EUROPEAN EUROPEAN UNION UNION CULCULTURE TURE 2000 2000 PROGRAMMEPROGRAMME

Managing Cultural Heritage Underwater

PHOTO FRONT COVER:

Scientific diver excavating with a water

dredge in the investigation trench on a

Stone Age Settlement site. PHOTO: RGK

ISBN 978-90-76046-58-7

AMERSFOORT – JANUARY 2008

CONTENTS5 Foreword MARTIJN MANDERS

6 What does MACHU stand for? MACHU PROJECT TEAM

8 How MACHU helps European

citizens, planners, policy officers

and scientists MACHU PROJECT TEAM

THE MACHU PROJECT PARTNERS, THEIR REPRESENTATIVES

AND TEST AREAS

10 THE NETHERLANDS (RACM) WILL BROUWERS AND ROB OOSTING

14 BELGIUM INE DEMERRE AND MARNIX PIETERS

18 ENGLAND CHRIS PATER

22 GERMANY STEFANIE KLOOß

26 POLAND IWONA POMIAN AND TOMASZ BEDNARZ

30 PORTUGAL JOÃO GACHET ALVES, JOSÉ BETTENCOURT,

PATRICIA CARVALHO AND VANESSA LOUREIRO

34 SWEDEN MIRJA ARNSHAV

38 THE NETHERLANDS (RWS) HERMAN HOOTSEN

39 Building the GIS system HERMAN HOOTSEN

40 Modelling Sediment Mobility JUSTIN DIX AND DAVID LAMBKIN,

to Support the Management UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON

of Submerged Archaeological Sites

41 The MACHU website WILL BROUWERS

42 The MACHU meetings ANDREA OTTE

42 Progress of the project MARTIJN MANDERS

3 M A C H U R E P O R T 1 - 2 0 0 7

4 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

5 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FOREWORDM A R T I J N M A N D E R S

Here, on behalf of the project team, is the

first MACHU Report where we present to

you information on how the project was started,

its current status and what we want to achieve.

In addition, the eight partners in the project

introduce their contribution.

MACHU: Managing Cultural Heritage Underwater,

will publish one report each year, followed by a

final publication in 2009 at end of the project.

Another way to keep track of the project’s progress

is to check the website www.machuproject.eu

once in a while.

I sincerely hope that the information we present

here will be of use to you and of course

be fun to read.

6 M A C H U R E P O R T 1 - 2 0 0 7

For decades our underwater cultural heritage has been a virtually unknown and unused

source of information for the reconstruction of our past. Indeed it has only been in the last

decade that international and national institutions have recognised any need for legislative

measures to protect and manage this heritage (e.g. UNESCO Convention of Underwater Cultural

Heritage, 2001).

Nevertheless, if found, by accident or by intent, sites and objects from the seabed can

provide totally new archaeological and historical perspectives on our past. Moreover, they are

often spectacular and receive a large amount of public attention, both during excavation and

subsequent display (e.g. Vasa, Sweden and the Mary Rose, UK).

The underwater cultural heritage is rich, ithas a great variety, and – in many areas inEurope – it is very well preserved. It is alsoworth remembering that Europe’s history isintimately linked with its maritime heritage.This is reflected in the countries involved inthe MACHU project (Belgium, Germany,Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden andUnited Kingdom) all of which are situatedalong the coastal maritime routes that havebeen very important for the development ofEurope throughout the centuries.

One of the main reasons why we know solittle about our underwater cultural heritageis the fact that it is usually invisible and almostinaccessible. This exclusivity has been bene-ficial for the submerged remains for manycenturies, as wrecks were protected in a

natural way against looting. However, in thepresent-development of new technologiescauses the underwater heritage to becomeboth more accessible and therefore undergreater threat. Looting is a serious problemfor well-known sites and commercial develop-ment projects are also putting pressure onthis valuable source of cultural knowledge.Until now, management of the underwatercultural heritage has been done without muchplanning or coordination, effectively on a siteby site basis.

As a result, there is little understanding of theactual processes (both regional and local) thatthreaten underwater sites. A greater under-standing of how sites are formed and changedis also essential as we move nationally andinternationally towards a policy of preservation,

conservation or management, in situ (ICO-MOS Charter, 1996; UNESCO Convention,2001).

The primary goal of the MACHU project is tomake information about our common under-water cultural heritage accessible for aca-demic purposes, policy makers and for thegeneral public. This is going to be achievedthrough the construction of a GIS-basedDecision Support System which will simulta-neously act as a database for research, and asa web-based interface for increasing access toour underwater cultural heritage by the gene-ral public, the citizens of Europe. The specificbenefits to the academic research communitywill be an improved exchange of data andinformation that will help to promoteresearch networks between different coun-tries. On a broader European basis informationabout the condition of sites on the seabedand about research project development willbecome more available to the academiccommunity. Therefore, duplication inresearch and management can be avoided. Abenefit to policy makers is that this projectwill help develop good practice for the imple-mentation of European Directives, such asthe 1985 EIA2 and 2001 SEA3 Directives.

As a large part of the damage done to under-water sites is invisible to the wider public, itis difficult to obtain support for protectivemeasures. Therefore making site informationaccessible to the greater public will inevitablyengender a greater public understanding ofthe need to protect sites and promote a

MACHUWHAT DOES STAND FOR?

THE MACHU PROJECT TEAM

FIGURE 1: Members of the MACHU project teamduring a meeting

7 M A C H U R E P O R T 1 - 2 0 0 7

commitment to support that protection.Further, by tackling this issue through a multi-country approach MACHU will inherentlypromote greater mobility of both data andresearchers working in the field of a sharedunderwater cultural heritage. The project willtherefore also contribute to a cultural dia-logue between, and mutual knowledge of, theculture and history of the countries involved.

Within MACHU, GIS application, archaeolo-gical and historical data from sites and areaswill be combined with information on theburial environment (including geophysical,geochemical, sedimentological and oceano-graphic data) and possible threats to the siteson short term (e.g. erosion, infrastructuralworks, mining and fishing), and longer term(e.g. increased erosion due to climate changeand chemical deterioration). Data will beacquired by both desk-based studies ofextant archaeological resources and theacquisition of new data using new technolo-gies and models that, until now, have beenonly sporadically used in the cultural sector.

Particular emphasis will be paid to the physi-cal controls on site formation and manage-ment, including the development of erosion-sedimentation models. These models will bedeveloped on both regional (via the manipu-lation of the data within the GIS system) andlocal scale (through calibration of laboratoryscale models already developed by the groupwith in situ data). The results from bothelements being iteratively fed back into theGIS application throughout the project.

Ultimately, major emphasis will be placed onthe final web-based GIS application becomingthe basis of a critical tool for the effectivemanagement of underwater sites by culturalprofessionals throughout Europe. This will beachieved through the development of aDecision Support System which will integratethe process-based knowledge with informationon the legal and management status of anysite, as well as the potential human impact onany site or environment (i.e. a regional as wellas a local perspective). With MACHU we willbe able to more effectively preserve our pastfor our future – which is almost by definitionof international concern.

More importantly, this will be achieved in apro-active manner by sharing this informationwith all countries that have a long maritimehistory. The project runs from September2006 until August 2009. � FIGURE 2: Due to the Treaty of Valletta (Malta), works executed on land and water

are now subject to archeological investigation prior to, as seen here, dredging.PHOTO’S: PETER STASSEN, RACM

The EU-Culture 2000 project MACHU

– Managing Cultural Heritage Under-

water – aims to address three major

groups: the European citizen as well

as policy makers, planners and

scientists.

M A C H U F O R

T H E P U B L I C

Why does the project want to address

the (European) citizen?

For centuries, connections between coun-tries and cultures were made over, and by,water. Many European countries have a richmaritime history and the common maritimeheritage that remains underwater reflects this.However a significant problem is that thisunderwater cultural heritage is not visible forthe majority of the people. Once in a while,through archaeological excavation, salvaging,dredging or accidental catch by fishermen,objects from this rich cultural source arelifted out of their remote and anonymousenvironment. Then suddenly we are excitedby the beauty and the mystery of it.Due to regulations and agreements, themanagement of underwater cultural heritageis moving towards in situ preservation, lea-ving the sites (usually) untouched on the sea-bed. But does this mean we are not going tosee and experience any of this cultural rich-ness ever again?Before protecting these sites, it is the aim ofthe archaeological community to make aninventory of our underwater archive. Thismeans that our specific goal is to get aninsight in what we should protect.

The aim of the MACHU project is to makethis information available to the wider public,showing the richness of our maritime herita-ge underwater not only on national, but alsoon international level; appreciating the

history and the resources of our neighboursas well as our own. To that end, all MACHUinformation will be presented in an accessibleway.

H O W W I L L M A C H U

A C H I E V E T H I S ?

MACHU’s main tool to inform and help theEuropean citizen will be the website

www.machuproject.eu which is structured insuch a way that it will lead you to the topicsreferred to above and answer your questionsabout them. There will also be an explanationof why we are promoting in situ preservation,how we are doing it, and where it will bepublished.

The different countries involved in MACHU

8 M A C H U R E P O R T 1 - 2 0 0 7

HOW MACHU HELPS EUROPEAPLANNERS, POLICY OFFICERS

Activity 11

Start: Spatial Delineation

Activity 33

Desk-top Study: gathering data on sitearchaeology, natural environment

and human influencesActivity 22

Building a

geographical

information

system

(GIS)

with applications for use by

the research community,

policy makers and the public

Activity 44

On-site sampling and measurement:

quality of the archaeological remains, burial environment, sedimentation,

sea-floor morphology

Activity 55

Developing (e.g. sedimentation-erosionand mechanical deterioration) models

Activity 66

Assessment threats at site

& regional level (with data collected and model scenarios)

Activity 77

Dissemination of information on the project and the

management of underwater cultural heritage

(with data collected and model scenarios)

FIGURE 1

will host examples of their underwatercultural heritage on the website for the publicto see. Information about wrecks lying under-water is shown so that the public will get abetter insight in what can be found on theseabed and what we can do with such heritageassets.

M A C H U F O R T H E

P L A N N E R S A N D

P O L I C Y O F F I C E R S

Why would we like to inform policy makers,

managers and planners in archaeology?

For a long period, the sea and its seabed werea kind of ‘Terra Incognita’ to many of us. Oncein a while infrastructural interventions andcommercial developments were planned(e.g. dredging out waterways or extendingharbours). Regularly, due to these works,wrecks were exposed and destroyed.

Nowadays we know much more about theseabed. The information is however scatte-red across several organisations and it is notalways accessible to others. How can we usethe available information to convince othersto be careful with our cultural heritageunderwater and make them realise that it isworth protecting? How can we use data thathas been recorded by others for the manage-ment of this heritage?And even if the 2001 UNESCO Conventionon the Protection of Underwater CulturalHeritage hasn’t entered into force and it willtake a long time until its ratification by themajority of the Countries of the world, wemust be aware of the universal significance ofthe unanimous decision of countries repre-sented in UNESCO assembly to include in thebody text an Annex inspired by the SofiaICOMOS Charter, 1996, which is the state ofthe art on UCH management and the refe-rence of MACHU’s principles and standards.

How does MACHU address the

planners and policy officers?

First of all MACHU will show everyone theoverall richness of the underwater heritage asa source of information. Therefore it will be auseful tool for policy makers to emphasise theshared responsibility we have towards ourcommon underwater cultural heritage.The use and exploitation of the seabed hasbeen regulated in many (EU) Directives,agreements and laws. The Treaty of Valletta(signed by most EU-countries) even obligatesus to investigate the seabed before disturbing it.

Much information on the heritage underwa-ter is not yet available for decision-makers orplanners. MACHU aims to make this informa-tion accessible through a GIS-system (toagreed standards), within a password-protected section of the MACHU website. Itconsists of bathymetrical data, sediment-erosion models, administrative information,detailed depth information and the existingconnected legislation.

The MACHU GIS will be designed in such away that extra maps (e.g. specific informationlike fishing or diving activities, the condition ofshipwrecks, or threats to specific areas of ourunderwater cultural heritage) can easily beadded.When MACHU is ready, it will be a useful toolfor predicting the archaeological value ofareas and the threats to this rich underwatercultural resources.

M A C H U F O R T H E

S C I E N T I S T S

Why are we addressing the scientists?

Taking a similar approach for a wide range ofshipwreck-sites in various areas, and asses-sing them similarly, a good overview can beproduced for the research potential of sitesacross the different areas of Europe. Would a

European-wide approach to research ques-tions, and the related relevance of specificsites to those questions, not be a useful wayforward? Should research funding in eachcountry only be expended on study within itsown territory? Would a united Europeanapproach to the management of commonmaritime heritage not be more effective?This is not necessarily a question of combi-ning budgets, but it is of exchanging know-ledge, information and data.Combining forces and knowledge in thisrespect is therefore much more than simpleco-operation across European borders.

How will we address the

scientists in MACHU?

MACHU will provide a central portal for data.It will be the base for a joint management ofmaritime heritage. Data will be presentedthrough a GIS, making it possible to combinecertain information and therefore generatenew information on sites and areas.

If we have a well structured system in whichwrecks of many countries can be consulted,registered and presented in the same way, itwill be in the advantage of scientists throughthe whole of Europe.

In MACHU, data formats will be developedfor the assessment of sites (ManagementPlans developed in the MoSS project), lookingat degradation of sites and describing theseprocesses in the same way. New techniquesin management and research of underwatercultural heritage will also be developed andimplemented (e.g. dating the sediment of theseabed with OSL (Optical StimulatedLuminescence)). �

9 M A C H U R E P O R T 1 - 2 0 0 7

N CITIZENS,AND SCIENTISTS

M A R T I J N M A N D E R S

Project Leader of the MACHU projectT +31(0)33 42 27 752

+31(0)6 125 04 383F +31(0)33 42 17 799E m.manders@racm.nl

W I L L B R O U W E R S

Data manager of the MACHU projectT +31(0)33 42 27 572F +31(0)33 42 17 799E w.brouwers@racm.nl

A R J E N R O O S

Financial Controller of the MACH projectT +31(0)33 42 27 592F +31(0)33 42 17 799E a.roos@racm.nl

PA U L B O E K E N O O G E N

GIS Specialist T +31(0)33 42 27 615F +31(0)33 42 17 799E p.boekenoogen@racm.nl

R O B O O S T I N G

Naval ArchitectT +31(0)33 42 27 631F +31(0)33 42 17 799E r.oosting@racm.nl

A N D R E A O T T E

ArchaeologistT +31(0)33 42 27 688F +31(0)33 42 17 799E a.otte@racm.nl

W E N D Y V A N D E R

W E N S - P O U L I C H

T +31(0)33 42 27 517F +31(0)33 42 17 799E w.van.der.wens@racm.nl

M A R T I J N M A N D E R S did a free doc-toral study in underwater archaeology andmaritime history at the University of Leidenfinishing with a study on the casks of asixteenth century trader excavated on theTexel Roads. He has worked since 1990for the RACM, first in Alphen aan den Rijn(AAO) then in Lelystad (NISA) and now inAmersfoort (RACM-BMI). Martijn has aspecial interest in finding ways to execute in

situ-preservation and overall management ofunderwater cultural heritage. He has workedon sites all over the world. The experiencesin European projects he gained in the MoSSproject (Monitoring, Safeguarding andVisualizing North-European Shipwreck sites)and the BACPOLES project (Bacterial Decayof Wood).

W I L L B R O U W E R S studied Classicalhistory and Roman provincial archaeology atthe Radboud University in Nijmegen. Finished with a study on the trade and cultu-ral interaction between the Greek colonySelinus (6th and 5th century B.C.) and theCarthaginian emporiae on Sicily (1990). After that he excavated with the universityand the municipal archaeological service inNijmegen at the Roman canabae near thelegionary fortress (Legio XG) in Nijmegen.His special interest goes to the interactionbetween the tribe of Batavians and theRomans in the limes area of Batavia in The Netherlands. Besides this he workedfor the Roman Museum in Nijmegen werehe is specialised in educational programmeson (Roman) archaeology.

A R J E N R O O S completed an economicsprogramme at the HEAO in Utrecht. Hehas worked at RACM since May 2000. Hestarted as financial assistant. Nowadays heis financial controller and coordinates procu-

P R OJ E C T L E A D E R T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

The National Service for Archaeology, Cultural Landscape and Built Heritage (RACM)

Rijksdienst voor Archeologie Cultuurlandschap en Monumenten

P.O. Box 1600, 3800 BP Amersfoort – THE NETHERLANDS

T +31 (0)33 42 17 421 F +31 (0)33 42 17 799 E info@racm.nl www.racm.nl

10 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

The National Service for Archaeology, CulturalLandscape and Built Heritage (RACM) is res-ponsible, with others, for managing theNetherlands’ heritage both above and belowthe ground and under water. From the Middle Palaeolithic, some 350,000years ago, to the post-war period of reconstruc-tion. Whenever historic, archaeological orcultural landscape values are at stake, the RACMtakes the lead in ensuring the conservation,statutory protection, conservation and investi-gation of the country’s heritage. The keywords are quality and sustainability. Incases where no national or international valuesare involved, the RACM lobbies other authori-ties and public and private sector parties tomanage our heritage in accordance with univer-sally accepted standards.

As part of the Ministry of Education, Cultureand Science the RACM operates under thedirect responsibility of the Minister. In our roleas a government agency, we maintain an over-view of the cultural heritage throughout thecountry, including the legislation governing it.We tell the stories behind our cultural heritageand advise national, regional and local autho-rities in their decision-making. We also make avaluable contribution to international coopera-tion in this field through the exchange of know-ledge and information.

The RACM operates at the interface betweenpolicy, science and practice. This enables us torenew, enhance and share knowledge. Inmaking knowledge and information accessible,we are led by society’s demands regarding

heritage management. We act as a partner in the design and implemen-tation of land use plans, and help develop policy,conduct research, and issue grants for activitiesin the field of archaeology, cultural landscapeand built heritage management. We administer a national repository for shiparchaeology, a register and database of listedhistoric buildings and monuments and protectedtownscapes, and a central archaeologicalinformation system. The heritage is often vulnerable to externalinfluences, and we cannot expect it to be caredfor as a matter of course. The RACM is alsocharged with implementing and enforcing theMonuments and Historic Buildings Act, takingaction where necessary when the heritage isthreatened.

Representatives of the National Service for Archaeology, Cultural

Landscape and Built Heritage involved in the MACHU project:

In the Netherlands, two test areas have been chosen. The first one is for the

RACM a quite unknown area, named the Banjaard, in the North Sea near the

entrance of the Oosterschelde in the southern part of the Netherlands. This

area has been chosen for two reasons:

� It is a dynamic area and can give much detailed information for the sedimen-

tation/erosion model;

� Amateur divers are interested in the area and collect a lot of data from

different sites.

The second area is the Burgzand

Noord in the Waddenzee in the nort-

hern part of the country. The Burg-

zand has been chosen because his

long history of research and there-

fore a lot of information is collected.

T H E B A N J A A R D T E S T

A R E A I N Z E E L A N D

The Banjaard is a shoal area just west of theisland of Schouwen-Duiveland. Banjaardmeans saloon (kajuit) on a ship. originallythe Banjaard was a part of the island ofSchouwen. The area was, from the 9thcentury until 1580 AD, a stable trianglesandbank of approximately 15 km lenght.After 1580 AD erosion intensified enormously.Most of the (dramatic) changes in the areawere due to human interference. This causedthe Oosterschelde to change rapidly from ariverdelta into an estuary (between 1535-1600). The tidal energy intensified whichcaused the islands bordering the estuary to

11 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

Introduction to the test areas in the Netherlands

THE BURGZAND

NOORD AND

THE BANJAARD

IN ZEELAND

W I L L B R O U W E R S A N D R O B O O S T I N G

rement.In the MACHU project Arjen isresponsible for all the financial affairs andcontrols the project budget.

PA U L B O E K E N O O G E N studiedSocial Geography at the University ofUtrecht. Later he followed a special GIScourse at the Van Hall Larenstein institutein Velp. He is now working as specialistin geographical information at the RACMin Amersfoort.

R O B E R T O O S T I N G completedhis studies as a naval architect at theHTS of Haarlem in 1979. Since August1980 Robert was involved, as a navalarchitect, in the shipwreck excavationsin the IJsselmeerpolders. In the period1992-2000, he was the Head of theShip Archaeological Divison of theNetherlands Institute for Ship andUnderwater Archaeology (NISA). From the end of 2000 Robert Oostingworked as a civil servant at the Divisonof Maritime Heritage at the ROB/NISA(RACM since 2006) and was involvedin the physical and legal protection ofshipwrecks as well as in several shiparchaeological research projects.

A N D R E A O T T E studiedArchaeology of the Roman era in NorthWestern Europe, (MA)(University ofAmsterdam 1992). From 1993-2002she worked for the National Service forArchaeology, Cultural Landscape andBuilt heritage in different functionssuch as adviser on spatial planning anddevelopment projects and projectleader for the Highway A2. Since 2002she has worked as (senior) policy adviseron maritime heritage: advising onmaritime policy development, nationaland international, and coordinatingmajor spatial planning projects.

WENDY VAN DER WENS-

POULICH studied Art History at theUniversity in Leiden. Finished with astudy on 20th century graphic andcorporate design in Holland, particularlyrelated to the new image of the DutchPolice in the early nineties. After thisstudy, she started to work with a ship’sinsurance company. Since 2002 she hasworked at RACM. Here, the combinationof maritime heritage, archaeology,applied arts and data management,offers her an interesting workingenvironment.

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2: The Banjaard area on a map from 1774.

decline. Parts of the islands of Schouwen andNoord Beveland vanished in the sea. Morethan 100 villages disappeared. (figure 2)

New channels in the Oosterschelde erodedthe Banjaard and sliced the area into differentparts. At the same time, million tons of sandwas transported out of the Oosterschelde toform new sandbanks in the Banjaard area.Until very recently changes in the Ooster-schelde and Banjaard area were considerable.The safer searoute to Rotterdam was justwest of the Banjaard area. Ships intended toavoid the Banjaard area and yet hundreds ofships got in trouble there. Between 1822 and1999 more than 300 ships sunk or strandedin the Banjaard area. Although many shipshave been reported sunk on the Banjaardfew have been identified.

Even today the shoal area can be dangerous.The Provincial ‘Zeeland Newspaper’ statedthat on July the 17th 2007 a Swedish yachttravelling from IJmuiden to Calais run ashore.The reason given was a navigation error. Shipand crew, a couple, were rescued.

T H E B U R G Z A N D N O O R D

T E S T A R E A

For centuries, the Netherlands have been an

important maritime nation. Amsterdam was asignificant market for all kinds of goods withinEurope. Grain coming from the Baltic regionwas traded there, as well as goods from theEast and the West Indies.For a long time however it was impossible forbig ships to enter the Amsterdam harbourwith their cargo because of the shallowwaters in this area, called Pampus.

As a solution, these ships were loaded andunloaded on the Texel Roads, in the WaddenSea in the North of Holland.Protected for the North Western winds bythe island of Texel, it was a relatively calmarea. Relatively, because during centuriesthousands of these ships have been wreckedby storms. One example is the storm ofChristmas Night 1593. In one night more thanforty ships sunk and hundreds of sailors died.One of these unfortunate ships, the ScheurakSO1-wreck, has been excavated by RACM.This is however not the only shipwreck foundin the western part of the Wadden Sea.In a small area of a few square miles abouteighty shipwrecks with archeaological poten-tial from between the sixteenth and nine-teenth century are located. These wreckshave been found by local fishermen anddivers.

Between 1998 and 2006 the diving team ofthe Netherlands Institute for Ship and under-water Archeaology (NISA), nowadays RACMLelystad, investigated and monitored severalof these shipwrecks. Within the BZN testarea we can find four wrecks from theseventeenth century:

- The BZN 3 an East Indiaman ship calledthe ‘Rob’;

- The BZN 8 and BZN 11 these are un-known armed traders;

- The BZN 10 possible a German trader tothe Iberic peninsula.

In order to know how important this area isfor our national, but also for our commonmaritime heritage, it was important to deve-lop a method to give an assessment to thesewrecks. The used method formed the basisfor the ‘master management plan’ that wasdeveloped within the EU MoSS project andis now again used in MACHU.

The used assessment method was mainlynon-intrusive. Only in two cases where key-questions couldn’t be answered, and afterlong consideration, shipwrecks have beenpartly excavated by digging trenches.The Western Wadden Sea is placed on theTentative List from the Netherlands for

12 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

FIGURE 4: Wood with a copper bolt of one of the shipwrecks on the Banjaard. PHOTO: DUIKGROEPNEHALENNIA

FIGURE 3: Echo sounding survey on ‘The Banjaard’. PHOTO: DUIKGROEP NEHALENNIA

UNESCO World Heritage. One of the aims ofthe assessments of shipwrecks is to show thatthere is still a great deal of archaeologicalevidence surviving in this area. The other aimsare the development of methods to carry outassessments and to do research on thedegradation of shipwrecks underwater. Untilnow 12 shipwrecks in the whole Burgzandarea have been assessed.

With so many wrecks in Dutch nationalwaters, it is impossible to excavate all ofthem. The first option is to protect ship-wrecks in situ. In the MACHU test area theBZN 3, BZN 8 and BZN 10 are physicallyprotected. �________R E F E R E N C E S

� Cederlund, C.O. ed., MoSS Newsletter4/2003, Burgzand Noord 10.

� Manders, M., Safeguarding a site: the Master Management Plan, MoSS newsletter 3/2004.________

FIGURE 8: Multibeam sounding of four wrecks on theBurgzand Noord

13 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

T H E N E T H E R L A N D S

FIGURE 6: Iberian jars on the BZN 10 wreck

FIGURE 5: Five year sequence of multibeam recording on the BZN 10 wreck FIGURE 7: A complete cask on the BZN 10 wreck

M A R N I X P I E T E R S

p.a. Vlaams Instituut voor het Onroerend ErfgoedKoning Albert II-laan 19Bus 5B-1210 BrusselT +32 (0)2 553 16 72F +32 (0)2 553 16 55E marnix.pieters@rwo.vlaanderen.be

I N E D E M E R R E

p.a. Domein RaversijdeNieuwpoortsesteenweg 636B - 8400 OostendeT +32 (0)59 70 22 85F +32 (0)59 51 45 03E Ine.demerre@rwo.vlaanderen.be

M A R N I X P I E T E R S studied History(1980-1984) and Soil Science (1984-1986) at the University of Ghent. After participating in the archaeologicalexcavations at the Louvre museum in Paris-France (1989-1991) he joined the scientificstaff of the Flemish Heritage Institute in1992. Since that year, he has directed archaeological research at the late medievalfishing village ‘Walraversijde’ (Ostende,Belgium) and was awarded in 2002 a Ph.D.at the Free University of Brussels with a dissertation on the material culture of latemedieval fishing communities in the southern North Sea area. In July 2003 hewas responsible for developing the newresearch unit devoted to maritime heritageat the Flemish Heritage Institute.

I N E D E M E R R E studied Archaeology(1997-2001) at the University of Leuven. She worked as a site assistant (2002-2004) on rescue excavations in Ireland, involvingpost-medieval and bronze-age sites. In 2005 she joined the scientific staff of theVIOE. As well as archaeological excavations(among which at the medieval fishing villageof ‘Walraversijde’(2005-2006)), she is responsible for data acquisition and researchon the maritime archaeological heritage present in Flanders and in the North Sea.Currently she is working full-time on theMACHU project.

The Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE) is ascientific Institute of the Flemish Govern-

ment under the direct authority of theMinister. The Institute was set up in 2004 tocarry out research related to heritage andorganise presentations of the research results.The policy of the Institute is to approach thelegacy of the past as an integrated whole,encompassing not only archaeological sites,but also monuments, landscapes and heritageafloat.

Archaeological finds from the sea have attrac-ted considerable attention for quite sometime. The part of the North Sea under Belgiansupervision and the rivers not only conceallarge numbers of shipwrecks but also a widevariety of ‘other maritime archaeologicalheritage’ such as ship cargoes lost or leftbehind, drowned settlements and skeletonremains of extinct animal species. Maritimearchaeological heritage can also be found on

land, including the remains of variousstructures connected with the sea or rivers,such as sluices, ports, lighthouses, fishermenvillages and salt works. A very closely relatedfield of study is represented by ships ofhistoric importance that are still afloat today,the so-called ‘heritage afloat’.Since 2005 these fields of study have beenaddressed in an integrated way by theMaritime Archaeology And Heritage AfloatUnit of the Flemish Heritage Institute. Thisunit of 11 people (established in the summerof 2007), has an anchor point by the sea in theProvincial Museum of Walraversijde (Oost-ende).

In view of the shared competence, theestablishment of a co-operation agreementbetween the Flemish and Federal governmenton maritime heritage in late 2004 was a firstmajor step. Another important element wasthe setting-up, and continuous update, of a

database that collects as much information aspossible on maritime archaeological archives.Developed by Aexis-Belgium NV, this data-base with interactive web applications canbe consulted at: http://www.maritieme-archeologie.be.

In co-operation with a large number of part-ners, including the Province of West Flanders,a variety of initiatives were subsequently setup, ranging from exhibitions with workshopsfor divers, to an international maritimecolloquium in Bruges ‘To sea or not to sea’. Inaddition, the growing collaboration with thediving community has already producedimportant results.

New and adapted legislation that regulatesthe issue of ownership of wrecks and providesthe legal basis for the protection of historicallyor archaeologically valuable wrecks wasapproved in early 2007.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R B E L G I U M

The Flemish Heritage Institute (VIOE: Vlaams Instituut voor het Onroerend Erfgoed)

The Maritime Archaeology And Heritage Afloat Unit

Vlaams Instituut voor het Onroerend Erfgoed

Koning Albert II-laan 19, Bus 5, B -1210 Brussels – BELGIUM

T +32 (0)2 553 16 50 F +32 (0)2 553 16 55 E instituutonroerenderfgoed@vlaanderen.be www.vioe.be

14 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

Representatives of the Flemish Heritage Institute involved in the MACHU project:

V L A K T E V A N D E R A A N

This study area covers some 97 km2 in theform of a rectangle measuring 12 km x 9 kmapart from a small triangle which is in DutchTerritorial Waters. Twenty archaeologicalsites have been identified in the ‘Vlakte vande Raan’ study area to date. Among the 20 isthe ‘Zeebrugge site’ from which numerousartefacts, mainly of copper alloy, have beenrecovered since 1990 (Vandenberghe 1997,87-90). Examination of these artefacts has ledto an estimated date for the site of the late15th - early 16th century. The most striking ofthe objects from the Zeebrugge site is a well-

preserved wrought iron cannon togetherwith its wooden gun-carriage. No remains ofthe actual vessel have been recorded, butdetailed scientific study of the site and theartefacts has yet to be carried out.

Also in the ‘Vlakte van de Raan’ study area is’t Vliegent Hart, a Dutch East Indiaman lostin 1735. A huge number of artefacts wererecovered from this wreck between 1981and 2000 in the course of a joint Anglo-Dutch initiative under the direction of RexCowan (Hildred, ed., 2001). A comprehensivereport on this project is awaited.

Two wrecks in the ‘Vlakte van de Raan’ studyarea have been identified as German WorldWar I submarines (UC-4 and UB-59) (Ter-mote 1999, 157, 159). Two more date fromWorld War II: an American – British landingship tank, LST-80; and the front section of the‘Samselbu’, a British Liberty ship the stern halfof which lies some 5,5 km away, outside thestudy area. As well as vessels connected withthe World Wars, other twentieth centurywrecks are to be investigated. Only one ofthese has so far been identified in the studyarea: Z.442 ‘André Jeannine’, a fishing boatwhich sank in 1961. The ‘André Jeannine’ wasuntil a few years ago, discernible by meansof multibeam. Its current invisibility by multi-beam probably means that it has in largemeasure been covered by sediment.

Four further shipwrecks are known buthave yet to be identified. Nine other siteshave been reported by divers or fishermenbut await survey.

‘ B U I T E N R AT E L’

This second study area covers a square of225 km2 (15 km x 15 km) up against thewestern boundary of Belgium’s territorialwaters. It takes its name from the sandbankwhich is situated in its centre and includes 21archaeological sites.

The best-known of the sites in the secondstudy area is the ‘Buiten Ratel wreck’, themost prominent features of which are 3massive anchors. Since 1996 NATA (NorthSea Archaeological Team Aquarius) divers

15 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

B E L G I U M

The Belgian section of the North Sea, covering only about 3600 km2, is small

when compared with neighbouring territorial waters. However, its position

close to the English Channel, for centuries an important gateway to the North

Sea and the Baltic, and its long-established international trading ports such as

Bruges and Antwerp, meant that it was among the busiest shipping zones of the

world from the Middle Ages onwards.

In spite of its great potential, study of the maritime heritage of the North

Sea has only begun in earnest in Belgium in recent years. An overview of the

achievements to date was published in 2007 (Zeebroek et al. 2007). An inter-

active database of this Belgian maritime archaeological heritage can be

consulted at www.maritime-archaeology.be.

As part of the MACHU project two areas of Belgium’s North Sea waters were

selected for study: the first is centred on the ‘Vlakte van de Raan’ sandbank, and

the second on the ‘Buiten Ratel’ sandbank. The ‘Vlakte van de Raan’ is the

main sandbank in the Scheldt estuary and appears on maps as early as the 17th

century. The ‘Buiten Ratel’ sandbank is the site of an 18th century wreck which

is already the subject of investigation by the VIOE (Vlaams Instituut voor het

Onroerend Erfgoed - Flemish Heritage Institute).

Introduction to the Belgian test areas (Flanders)

‘VLAKTE VAN DE RAAN’ AND

‘BUITEN RATEL’

I N E D E M E R R E A N D M A R N I X P I E T E R S

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2: Voluntary divers preparing for their dive withthe reserch vessel 'Zeeleeuw' in the background. ©VIOE

have been carrying out a systematic salvageoperation at the site. Among the artefactsrecovered is a large collection of clay pipes(Thierens 2006, 23-24). In 2006 the FlemishHeritage Institute (VIOE) initiated a detailedstudy of the artefacts from the ‘Buiten Ratelwreck’. The material has been dated to themid-18th century, and a significant proporti-on, including the clay pipes, pewter spoons,and a watch in a gold case, link the wreck toparts of the modern Netherlands. In fact thefinds are very similar to the 18th centuryartefacts known from the ‘Hollandia’ and the‘Amsterdam’.

In the ‘Buiten Ratel’ study area the wrecks of4 World War I torpedo boats have beenidentified, though spread over 5 sites. Twoof the wrecks are of German boats, G-96and A-19 (the two halves of which lie some90m apart), while the other two are French,the ‘Branlebas’ and T-319.

The British ferry ‘Gracie Fields’, the armedtrawler ‘St. Achilleus’ and the ‘Bourrasque’ arewrecks from the World War II period in thestudy area. The ‘Bourrasque’ is one of thesites which have been chosen for detailed

biological research (www.vliz.be/projects/bewremabi/).

A fishing vessel which sank in 1972, ‘Z.577Sabrina’, provides useful information on thepreservation, the rate of sedimentation, andthe human and biological impact on a wreckwhich was not affected by bombs or mines.One other wreck, which has yet to be identi-fied, nonetheless appears to be of 19th or20th century in date. Ten further sites havebeen recorded but remain to be explored.

F I R S T I M P R E S S I O N S

A N D W O R K I N

P R O G R E S S

In the two test areas 41 archaeological siteshave been identified. Of the 41, only threehave been shown to predate the 19th century.

The largest group of sites (12 in total) is thatof wrecks from the two World Wars. Explo-sions connected with their foundering meanthat many of these ships were severely dama-ged even before any other deteriorationcould take place on the seabed. It appears,however, that most of the wrecks in the two

study areas are well buried in the sediment,which probably provides good protection.There is clearly a need for more detailedstudy of the processes of sedimentation anderosion if informed forecasts regarding thepreservation of the sites are to be attempted.

Many of the wrecks with elements protrudingfrom the seabed are being reused, serving asartificial reefs for plant and animal marine life.This biological activity may protect the wreckagainst erosion but may also accelerate itsdeterioration – it is anticipated that furtherstudy may shed light on this question.

The wrecks at five sites remain unidentified,while seventeen possible sites await investiga-tion. As a result of a cooperative initiativewith the Flemish Hydrographic Service(www.vlaamsehydrografie.be), the first half of2007 has seen the recording of fourteen ofthe forty-one sites with an EM3002 Multi-beam, and further such scanning is planned.In addition reported positions need moreanalysis. Detailed recordings are also soon to be takenof a selection of wrecks using an AUV / SideScan Sonar (Remus 100). These forms of

16 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

B E L G I U M

FIGURE 3: Measuring parts of an unidentified UC-boat. PHOTO: STEFAAN MAECKELBERGH ©VIOE

imaging, using different scanning apparatus,provide a very good basis for further under-water research (fig. 4 & 5).

Divers have now made preliminary surveys offive of the wrecks in the ‘Buiten Ratel’ studyarea. These surveys afford an initial impressionof the state of each wreck, recording the pre-sence of fishing nets, noting traces of robberyand other damage and identifying the imme-diacy of threats such as erosion. The appea-rance and condition of each wreck site isrecorded by means of sketches, measure-ments, techniques which provide informationregarding, for example, the survival of struc-tures on the seabed as well as regarding plantand animal life at each site.

Soil samples are taken from inside and outsi-de each wreck for sediment study. The rateof corrosion of different metals under wateris being investigated by means of the placingof samples on the ‘Buiten Ratel wreck’. In

addition, of course, the 20th century wrecksprovide excellent data for the investigation ofthe deterioration of different materials, parti-cularly as in many cases the exact date uponwhich the ship sank is known (figure 6).

In summary, there is a varied selection ofsites spread between the two study areas.The project holds great potential forresearch which ought to contribute valuableinformation towards the formulation of policyand practice in the management of theunderwater archaeological heritage. (With special thanks to archaeologist R. Budd(Dublin, Ireland) for revising the text) �________R E F E R E N C E S

� Hildred A. (Ed.) 2001: VOC AnniversaryShipwreck Project. Report on the excavation of the Dutch East Indiaman Vliegent Hart.

July – August 2000.

� Termote T. 1999: Verdwenen in deNoordzee. De geschiedenis van de Duitse U-boten aan de Belgische kust in de EersteWereldoorlog en opheldering over het lot van vijftien verdwenen onderzeeërs, Erpe.

� Thierens M. 2006: The wreck on the‘Buitenratel’ bank. In: Pieters M., Gevaert G., Mees J. & Seys J. (eds.) 2006:Colloquium: To sea or not to sea – 2nd inter-national colloquium on maritime and fluvialarchaeology in the southern North Sea Area– Colloquium: Ter Zee of niet ter zee –2de internationaal colloquium over maritiemeen fluviale archeologie in het zuidelijkeNoordzeegebied, Brugge (B), 21-23 september2006. VLIZ special publication 32. FlemishHeritage Institute (VIOE)-Province of WestFlanders - Provincial Museum Walraversijde -Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) - PortAuthority Zeebrugge (MBZ)-City of Bruges,Bruggemuseum - Ministry of Flanders,Coastal Division - University of Ghent - vzw Maritieme Archeologie - vzw Nata -vzw Nelos, Belgium, 23-24.

� Vandenberghe S. 1997: Découvertesimportantes de la fin du 15ième et le débutdu 16ième siècle provenant du fond de la merdu Nord en face du port de Zeebrugge.In: De Boe G. & Verhaeghe F. (Eds.), Travel,Technology & Organisation in Medieval Europe.Papers of the ‘Medieval Europe Brugge 1997’Conference. Volume 8, I.A.P. Rapporten 8,Zellik, 87-90.

� Zeebroek I., Pieters M. & Gevaert G.(eds.) 2007: Verdronken Verleden - PasséSubmergé - Drowned Past - ErtrunkeneVergangenheid, Brussel.________

B E L G I U M

FIGURE 4: Multibeam image of the 'Z. 577 Sabrina'© FLEMISH HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE

FIGURE 5: Multibeam image of the 'Z. 577 Sabrina'© FLEMISH HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE

FIGURE 6: Example of corrosion on parts of a 19th or 20th century wreck of unknown identity in the ‘Buiten Ratel’ area. PHOTO ALLAN SOREYN ©VIOE

17 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

I A N O X L E Y

Head of the MaritimeArchaeology TeamT +44 (0)23 9285 6767E ian.oxley@english-heritage.org.uk

C H R I S PAT E R

Marine Planner MaritimeArchaeology Team / contactperson MACHUT +44(0)23 9285 6721E chris.pater@english-heritage.org.uk

I A N O X L E Y started his archaeologicalcareer as a digger in the late Seventies,learnt to dive and joined the Mary Roseproject as diving Finds Assistant. Followingthe excavation and recovery of the Tudorwarship he specialised in shipwreck environ-mental archaeology, progressing to becomethe Mary Rose Trust’s ArchaeologicalScientist. He has held many voluntary officesin societies such as the Institute of FieldArchaeologists and helped develop theNautical Archaeology Society TrainingProgramme. Moving to St Andrews in 1988to spend ten years with the ArchaeologicalDiving Unit he set up and directed thevoluntary Maritime Fife project. Afterembarking on research into the managementof historic shipwreck sites in Scotland atHeriot-Watt University, he joined HistoricScotland as an Assistant Inspector of AncientMonuments before moving to EnglishHeritage as Head of Maritime Archaeologyin 2002.

C H R I S P AT E R is Marine Planner andhe provides the main contact point for theMACHU project. Chris Pater joined theEnglish Heritage Maritime Archaeology Teamin 2005 after having spent seven years in theMaritime Team of English Nature, anotherUK public body responsible for nature andgeological conservation in England.

The seas and shores around England containan immense wealth of archaeological sites

and remains. As an island country that hasexperienced successive waves of settlementsover many centuries, and as a major mercantile,naval, industrial and imperial power, the historyof England and the experience of many of itsinhabitants has been inextricably linked to itssurrounding seas. And, of course, it is only within the last 10,000years or so that we have been an island, so formany more millennia before that we were partof the landmass of North West Europe.Maritime archaeology concerns the investigationof such evidence and we are the Government’sadvisor on all aspects of the historic environ-ment of England, all the way out to the

Territorial Limit 12 nautical miles off ourshores. The English Heritage MaritimeArchaeology Team provides maritime andcoastal archaeology policy development andstrategy, promotes standards, manages grants,produces guidance, and takes forward thephysical management of England’s DesignatedWreck Sites. The Head of Maritime Archaeo-logy Team is Ian Oxley.

Early evaluation of how development mightimpact on the marine historic environment is akey consideration in assessing the overallviability of a project, or in the preparation offuture planning proposals. In our provision ofadvice to UK Government regulators for off-shore developments we encourage a proactive

approach promoting early discussion so thatany survey work to examine the seabed ismade available for wider benefit and use.Knowledge of the presence of previouslyunknown and potentially significant archaeolo-gical sites will improve decision-making andpromote effective development planning.

We also work to ensure that the historic envi-ronment receives appropriate recognition andinclusion within the development of Europeanmaritime policy. In support of this objective,we have participated in the formulation ofthe European Marine Strategy to ensure ourinterests are integral to the action taken todeliver a sustainable marine environment.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R E N G L A N D

English Heritage, Maritime Archaeology Team

English Heritage – Maritime Archaeology Team

Fort Cumberland, Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney, Portshmouth, PO4 9LD – ENGLAND

T +44 (0) 9285 6735 F +44(0) 23 9285 6701 E maritime@english-heritage.org.uk www.english-heritage.org.uk/maritime

18 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

Representatives Maritime Archaeology Team involved in the MACHU project:

E A S T E R N E N G L I S H

C H A N N E L

One of the seabed modelling test sites is thewreck of a First World War submarine brokenin two at a depth of approximately 41 m inthe middle of the central vessel separationzone of the eastern English Channel(approximately 20 nm SSW of Hastings (EastSussex). The vessel when intact measured 57m LOA with 5.2 m beam and now stands 4.5m proud of the seabed and represents theremains of a German mine-laying submarine(figure 2).

The initial investigation concluded that thesite represented the remains of UC65 sunk90 years ago on 3rd November 1917 afterbeing torpedoed by a British submarine withthe loss of 22 out of 27 lives. She was home-ward-bound via rapid surface run when shewas sighted by HM Submarine C16, whichdived, firing two torpedoes. UC 65 avoidedthe first but was struck amidships by thesecond. Kapitanleutnant Lafrenz was amongfive survivors captured. However, the locationgiven for this attack on UC65 was that shewas torpedoed off Dartmouth (Devon), alt-hough a record also exists that the attack onthis submarine was by HMS MC-15, com-manded by Lieut. E Dolphin. So what of theidentity of the U-boat 20 nm SSW ofHastings? Peter Longstaff-Tyrrell of theSussex Military History Society is quoted assuggesting a provenance for a ‘rare World

19 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

E N G L A N D

The contribution that English Heritage brings to this project is

work supported by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

introduced by the UK Government to provide funds to help address

the environmental impacts of marine aggregate extraction.

English Heritage is a major distributor of the fund and supports

projects that examine the implications of marine sand and gravel

extraction on the marine historic environment.

Research projects have been targeted to meet both the Fund

priorities and the strategic agenda for England’s maritime

archaeology. Through its involvement in the Fund English

Heritage has supported a range of initiatives, providing new

insights into mitigation, assessment, evaluation and potential of

the marine historic environment through remote survey and field

investigation. It is in reference to a particular set of projects,

supported by the fund that will provide the basis for our partici-

pation in the MACHU project undertaken by the Justin Dix and

David Lambkin of the University of Southampton.

Introduction to the English test areas

EASTERN ENGLISH CHANNEL

AND THE GOODWIN SANDS

C H R I S PAT E R

FIGURE 2: A World War One U-boat types and sidescan survey of wreck believed to be UC65

FIGURE 1

E N G L A N D

War I U-boat gun’ recovered from the sea bydivers off Newhaven, and presented to theNewhaven Local and Maritime Museum. Hesuggests that it came from either U8 orUC65. It is described as 16 ft long andweighing two tons, with parts still in workingorder. So does the vessel subject to our studystill have its gun? The initial investigation ofthe site by ROV suggested that a gun waspresent on the seabed adjacent to the wreck– so is this the wreck of U8 or UC65 andwho really attacked it?

E A S T E R N E N G L I S H

C H A N N E L : H A S T I N G S

S H I N G L E B A N K

T H E U N K N O W N W R E C K

The Hastings Shingle lies at a depth of 20metres in the form of a broad flat sedimen-tary feature 5 km2 in area. The ‘unknown’wreck lies 13 km south of Hastings on thesouth coast of England and lies 200 m froman active dredging area. It is included on theUK Hydrographic Office database and wasfirst recorded in 1918, but no further infor-mation is available concerning its history orthe circumstances of its loss other than in1959 the site was subject to a ‘clearancesweep’ which reduced the height of thewreck above the seabed from over 8 m withfurther clearance in 1962 which reduced theheight above seabed to a maximum of 4.6 m. Recent sonar and swath survey of the siteindicated that the vessel was 70 m in length

with 15 m beam and lies almost horizontal onthe seabed (Dix et al., 2007).

E A S T E R N E N G L I S H

C H A N N E L : T H E O W E R S

B A N K T H E W R E C K O F

T H E A R I E L

The wreck of the Ariel was chosen as afurther field study site as its physical shapeand orientation is different to that of the‘unknown wreck’ on Hastings Shingle Bank. Itlies at 30 m depth in close proximity (approxi-mately 1 km) to an active dredge area. Thewreck is recorded on the UK HydrographicOffice database as a British steamship built in1885 by Earles Co. Ltd. of Hull 91.4 m inlength with beam of 12.8 m and 6.1 m draft;powered by two boilers driving a triple expan-sion engine giving 300hp through a singlepropeller shaft. At the time of her loss she wastransporting a cargo of wheat from Varna(Bulgaria) to Hamburg and was operatingunder the ownership of Edward Leetham ofHull. Her loss on the 18th October 1896 wascaused by a collision with SS Lancashire inconditions of light winds and fog without anyloss of life. Until 1935 the wreck lay intact and it wasreported that here masts reached to within3 m of the sea surface; the wreck was thendispersed using a wire drag to give 18 m ofclearance which should have left approxima-tely 9 m of the wreck remaining above theseabed. Subsequent echo sounder trails in

1977/1979 indicated wreckage 6-7 m highwith measurements in 2001 reporting wreckheight of 5-6 m. The most recent seabed sur-vey of the wreck using sonar and swath showthe vessel to be partly resting on its port side,but with central sections lying horizontal andreduced to seabed level, but with large, brokensections of bow, stern and aft superstructureremaining standing up to 5 m above the sea-bed (Dix et al. 2007).

G O O D W I N S A N D S –

‘ S H I P - S W A L L O W E R ’

The Goodwin Sands are a shallow relativelyfine grained sand bank system located off theeast coast of Kent rising 25 m above theunderlying seabed geology and drying in partat low tide. Naturally, this location has presented a hazardto safe navigation and since at least the mid1500s the Sands been referred to as the ‘ship-swallower’ in the belief that an entire vessel,if trapped on the Sands, may becomecompletely buried. It is certainly the case thatthe complex geomorphology of the sandbank system is not understood beyond obser-ved seasonal changes as revealed by routinesurvey work conducted for safety of navigation. This location is therefore one where we havekeen interest in developing the site specificwreck hydrodynamic studies conducted todate to address regional scale sedimentarydynamics. In particular attention will bedirected at the shipwreck sites designated

20 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 3: the ‘Great Storm’ of 1703 IMAGE: SEADIVE, NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM

FIGURE 5/6/7: Artefacts recovered from The Rooswijk PHOTO’S: MARTIJN MANDERS, RACM

under our national legislation (the Protectionof Wreck Act 1973):

� The Stirling Castle, a ‘third rate ship of theline’ was lost while at anchor on the GoodwinSands during what became known as the‘Great Storm’ of 27th November 1703 (figure3). The wreck of the Stirling Castle was firstreported in 1979, but shortly afterwards wasre-engulfed by sand and was not reportedagain until 1998 and presently lies at a depthof 12 m in a shallow gully. The effect of tidalflow around the exposed wreck and sandwave movement led to substantial exposure,but reports since 2003 indicate that sand-wave migration is, once more, covering thewreck. (figure 4)

� The Northumberland, also a ‘third rate’ waslost with all hands in the same storm as theStirling Castle. The wreck was first reportedin 1980 with the site described as a lowmound, but it is thought that the wreckremains are vulnerable to dynamic seabedconditions as noted in dive investigationsconducted under the Government’s contractfor Archaeological Services in the 1990s.

� The Restoration, was a further ‘third rate’naval vessel lost in the Great Storm of 1703and recent dive investigations have revealedthe wreck, thought to lie in two sections, tobe almost entirely buried;

� The Rooswijk was recorded as a vessel ofthe Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie(Dutch East Company) and was lost on the

Goodwin Sands in 1793. The wreck isbelieved to lie in two sections with reportsindicating that exposed sections of hull andinternal structure are in good conditionwith substantial sections presently buried.

� The Admiral Gardner was an English EastIndiaman vessel on passage to India when shewas wrecked on the Goodwin Sands inJanuary 1809 during a storm. She wasdiscovered in 1983 and subject to salvagewith the site designated finally in 1990.Recent site investigation has revealed therecorded position of the wreck to be entire-ly covered by a sandbank.

It is therefore crucial to inform how wemanage these sites that we commission furt-her work to understand seabed dynamics as

it is the change in relative seabed level anddegree of exposure to tidal flow that has thegreatest influence on determining the longe-vity of the remaining wreck structure. �

R E F E R E N C E S

� DCMS (2006) Advisory Committee onHistoric Wreck Sites Annual Report 2005(April 2005-March 2006). Architecture andHistoric Environment Division, London.� Dix J.K., Lambkin D.O., Thomas M.D.and Cazenave P.W. (2007) Modelling exclusionzones for marine aggregate dredging. English Heritage ALSF project No 3365.School of Ocean & Earth Science, University of Southampton, UK. 421pp

E N G L A N D

FIGURE 4: Multibeam surveys of the Stirling Castle conducted as part of the Wrecks on the Seabed ALSF project.

2002 2005

The Baltic Sea has developed after the lastIce Age as a marginal sea of the Atlantic

Ocean with minimal tidal variation and withlimited water exchange through only smallconnecting channels to the Danish straits. Thedeveloping stages were characterized by diffe-rent freshwater, brackish and marine conditionsand the coastlines were changing because ofthe rising sea level. Today the Baltic Sea iscomparatively brackish with low salinity. At thesouthern and western Baltic region bays,fjords, cliffs, spits and lagoons form the coast-line.In the Stone Age hunters, fishermen and gathe-rers were living at the Baltic coast. Traces oftheir existence are still preserved on the seafloor. Later on the Baltic Sea connected themedieval towns of the Hanseatic League inCentral-, East- and North-Europe. The trade

ways on the water also connect to the NorthSea and the first large ships, mainly made fortransportation of goods, advanced the develop-ment of European markets. But the Baltic Seawas also a location for several wars and manywar ships have been sunk over the years.Although the Baltic Sea can be deemed a quietand safe sea, many ships and their crews havealso been wrecked or stranded along theseconstantly changing energetic coasts.

All these sunken traces of human history buildup our cultural heritage that can be investiga-ted and is protected by mandate. In Germanythe Federal States have the cultural sovereignty.For that reason the State Authority of Cultureand Protection of Monuments in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is responsible for the archaeo-logical heritage underwater and on land. All

coastal and offshore underwater sites of theFederal State are recorded at that agency.This compilation is essential for protecting andpreserving the Cultural heritage.The Roman-Germanic Commission (RGK),founded by the German ArchaeologicalInstitute in 1902, participates as a partner inthe MACHU project on the development of aGIS based database for archaeological under-water sites based on European standards. Withthese tools we can better achieve protectionand management of the underwater culturalheritage on a national and European scale. TheRGK is committed to promote and carry outresearch on prehistoric and early historic sitesmainly in Europe and to publish the results. Inthis case the RGK cooperates closely with uni-versities, museums and monument protectionorganizations.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R G E R M A N Y

The Roman-Germanic Commission (RGK) in cooperation with the Authority for

Culture and Protection of Monuments in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen InstitutsPalmengartenstraße 10 -12, 60325 Frankfurt a. M. – GERMANY

T +49 (0)69 97 58 180 F +49 (0)69 97 58 18 38 E info@rgk.dainst.de www.dainst.de/abteilung.php?id=268

F R I E D R I C H L Ü T H

Director of RGK T +49 (0)69 97 581 826F +49 (0)69 97 581 840E lueth@rgk.dainst.de

H A R A L D L Ü B K E

Archaeologist T +49 (0)385 52 14 563F +49 (0)385 52 14 199E luebke@rgk.dainst.de

S T E FA N I E K L O O ß

Project manager of the MACHU project for GermanyT +49 (0)385 52 14 563F +49 (0)385 52 14 199E klooss@rgk.dainst.de

F R I E D R I C H L Ü T H studied prehistory,oriental archaeology and ethnology at theuniversities of Saarbrücken and Hamburgand completed his PhD in 1988 on Northern

Middle Neolithic Cultures in the MiddleElbe-Saale Region. After his work as Head ofthe Department of Archaeological Heritageof the Archaeological State Museum ofHamburg he became in 1992 the director of the State Authority for Culture andProtection of Monuments and of theArchaeological Museum of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He is involved in political discussion aboutprotecting the underwater cultural heritageand is delegated in several political commit-tees, for example the progress of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection ofthe Underwater Cultural Heritage.

H A R A L D L Ü B K E studied prehistory,geology/palaeontology and soil sciences atthe University of Hamburg. After his workat the Archaeological District Museum ofDithmarschen and at the ArchaeologicalState Museum of Schleswig-Holstein hefinished his PhD about Early NorthernNeolithic flint technology and ergology inSchleswig Holstein at the University of Kielin 1997. He worked from 1997 - 2006 for

the Department Of UnderwaterArchaeology of the State Authority forCulture and Protection of Monuments inMecklenburg-Vorpommern and wasspecifically responsible for investigations ofsubmerged prehistoric sites. Since 2007 heis an employee of the Roman-Germaniccommission. Scientific diver since 1995, he isa member of the German Commission forScientific Diving and since 2007 associateddive instructor of the Scientific Dive Centreof the University of Rostock.

S T E FA N I E K L O O ß completed herstudies in prehistory, botany and geology atthe University of Kiel in 2002. Now she isworking on her PhD thesis about Stone Age wooden finds from the south-westernBaltic coast. In 2000 Stefanie trained as aScientific Diver and has worked since thenon different underwater excavations andprospecting surveys. Her special interest isresearch concerning economy and ecologyof man and nature in the past.

Representatives at the at the Roman-Germanic Commission (RGK) of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)

involved in the MACHU project:

22 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

23 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

G E R M A N Y

Introduction to the German test areas

WISMAR BAY AND RÜEGEN ISLAND

S T E FA N I E K L O O ß

The Baltic coast of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern extends from about

the city of Luebeck in the inner Mecklenburgian Bay to Usedom Island at

the border with Poland. On the entire coastline numerous wrecks were found by

aerial photography and geophysical survey methods. Circa 200 wrecks were

surveyed and partly documented by divers. But 560 wreck positions are known

and 1400 notices of ship losses were collected from historic records. Moreover

Stone Age settlement traces, also lying today beneath the sea level, were detected

and investigated. More than 50 new sites were surveyed by divers in the last

8 years. For the MACHU project two well documented areas were chosen:

W I S M A R B A Y

Wismar Bay, in the western partof the state, is situated in a flat hillymoraine landscape and is domina-ted by Poel Island. The harbourtown Wismar is situated in thesouth of the bay. It is a town of theHanseatic League with a well pre-served medieval city that wasaccepted by UNESCO in 2002 aspart of the World CulturalHeritage list. Inside the WismarBay over 100 underwater sites ofarchaeological interest werefound. Two fields of researchwere pursued in more detail. Oneis the investigation of the MiddleStone Age settlement around theformer Wismar Bay, which washeavily dependant upon marine

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2: Map with archeological underwater sites on the Baltic coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

food resources. During the Middle Stone Agesmaller groups of hunters and gathererswere living here in dense deciduous forests,who knew how to use the nearby sea coastfor fishing and sealing. But the sea-level rosecontinuously and people had to leave theirhunting camps and place them on the higherand dryer land. New results about thesea-level rise, the changing of the coastallandscape and the subsistence of the peoplebefore 7.000 years were found out in the lastyears (Hartz/Lübke 2006; Lampe et al. 2005;Lüth et al. 2004).

Similarly the ship wrecks, harbours and forti-fications in the Wismar Bay were topics ofresearch. These remains of a maritime culturallandscape evidence the intensive sea trade,the strategic importance and the role of theBaltic Sea as a seaway in medieval times andEarly Modern Times. The harbour of Wismarwas in medieval times and in Early ModernTimes a flourishing transfer point for thegoods of the Hanseatic League. As a result ofshipwreck investigations, the development ofthe first big trade ships of the HanseaticLeague, the so called cogs, the techniquesof ship building and the way of live on boardcould be researched. The harbour wasprotected with rows of piles, remains ofwhich are still preserved under water andalso illustrated in an historic painting. Duringthe ‘Thirty Years’ War, at the little island‘Walfisch’ (Whale) in the harbour entrance, afortification was constructed and even in theNordic War it had strategic importance (Lüthet al. 2004).

R U E G E N I S L A N D

Ruegen Island and the Greifswald Bay arepart of the heavily structured ‘Bodden’ at thesouthern Baltic region. The salinity here ismuch less than in the western Baltic Sea.Because of that wooden wrecks are notattacked by shipworms so far east of theRuegen Island. Many ships were strandedaround Ruegen Island and the Island ofHiddensee in consequence of the not easilynavigable waters.

The so called Gellen wreck from the westcoast of Hiddensee, a cog find from the 14th

24 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

G E R M A N Y

FIGURE 6: Reconstruction of Mesolithicfishing spear, an eel catcher, and finding of wooden leister prong with remains of the binding of bast fibres (length of leister: 25 cm).

FIGURE 5: Different kinds of plank construction: above: clinker, joining ofplanks by iron nails middle: clinker withsecond hull of planks in carvel techniquebelow: carvel, joining of planks to the frame by wooden nails.

FIGURE 3/4: Photo and drawing of truncated blade with well preserved wooden handle and artful binding from mesolithic site Timmendorf-Nordmole in Wismar Bay.

century, and the wreck of the Frigate‘Mynden’ from the 17th century were exem-plary investigations. The Gellen wreck wasdocumented in 1997 and has to be rescuedcompletely because of heavy shipwormattack. The remains belong to a trade ship,built around 1378, with a trade of limestonefrom the Island of Oeland, Sweden. It was onthe way to Stralsund and stranded on a sand-bank near a navigational light at the southernpoint of the Island of Hiddensee. The shipwas made out of pine wood from thesouthern Baltic region. It was 28 m long and8 m wide. Typically for cogs it was clinkerbuilt, planks joined with twice-bent iron nailsand had a narrow distance between theframes of 30 cm. The special constructivedetail was the second hull over the clinkerplanks that was nailed with wooden nails incarvel technique (www.uwa-mv/projekte/gellen.html).

The wreck of the frigate ‘Mynden’, armedwith a minimum of 11 guns, foundered at thechalk reef of Arkona at the north-east pointof Ruegen. It was clearly identified by archiveinvestigation in Copenhagen. The documentsgive information about the crew, the out-fitting and the ship’s history and enable areconstruction of the chain of events causingthe accident and the trials of salvage. Thefrigate was lost on November 18th, 1718.Dendro-chronological examination of a pieceof burned wood from the galley concurredwith this historical fact (Auer 2004).

According to historical records a ship barragebetween the Islands of Ruegen and Usedomwas built by the Swedish army during thetime of the Nordic War (1700 - 1721) betweenSweden – to which amongst others belongedPommerania since the Thirty Years’ War –

and the allied Danes, Poles, Russians and laterPrussians. A number of wreck sites nearly in aline were discovered in 1996 by aerial photo-graphy and geophysical survey on the sill atthe entrance to the Greifswald Bay. Up tonow 17 of the scuttled ships have beenlocated. The examination of nine wrecks bydivers provides the evidence of both clinkerbuilt and carvel constructed ships. Hence atthe ship barrage the investigation of differentbuilding traditions of the 17th and 18th century is possible (Förster et al. 2002).Stone Age settlement sites were also foundby diving surveys in the sheltered intercoastal‘Bodden’ of Ruegen Island. Test excavationsshow distinct differences to the conditions in the Wismar Bay. Because of different isostaticand neotectonic movements the sea level at

Ruegen Island reached a higher level conside-rably earlier, so that sites of the same age arelocated in shallower water than in WismarBay (Lampe et al. 2005). �

25 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

G E R M A N Y

FIGURE 7: Two scientific divers carefully excavating the wood rich find layer of a Mesolithic coastal settlement.

FIGURE 8: Scientific diver documenting the excavated finds by drawing and measuring.

FIGURE 9: Scientific diver documenting the excavated finds.

R E F E R E N C E S

� Auer 2004: Jens Auer, Fregatten ‘Mynden’:a 17th-century Danish Frigate Found inNorthern Germany. The International Journalof Nautical Archaeology 33.2, 2004, page 264-280.

� Förster et al. 2002: Thomas Förster,Joachim Krüger and Thomas Scherer, Die schwedische Schiffssperre von 1715 –Taucharchäologische Untersuchungen imGreifswalder Bodden. In: Ullrich Masemann(Ed.), Forschungen zur Archäologie undGeschichte in Norddeutschland, Festschrift für Wolf-Dieter Tempel zum 65. Geburtstag, Rotenburg/Wümme 2002, page 371-388.

� Hartz and Lübke 2006: Sönke Hartzand Harald Lübke, New Evidence for aChronostratigraphic Division of the Ertebølle

Culture and the Earliest Funnel BeakerCulture on the Southern Mecklenburgian Bay. In C.J. Kind (Ed.), After the Ice Age.Settlements, Subsistence and SocialDevelopment in the Mesolithic of Central Europe. Materialhefte zur Archäologie in Baden-Württemberg 78, 61-77. Stuttgart, Theiss.

� Lampe et al. 2005: R. Lampe, E.Endtmann, W. Janke, H. Meyer, H. Lübke,J. Harff and W. Lemke (†): A new relativesea-level curve for the Wismar Bay, N-German Baltic coast. Meyniana 57, 2005, page 5-35.

� Lüth et al. 2005; F. Lüth, T.J. Maarleveld und F. Rieck (eds.), Tauchgang in dieVergangenheit. Unterwasserarchäologie inNord- und Ostsee. Stuttgart.

I W O N A P O M I A N

ProjectleaderT +48 609 607 72E i.pomian@cmm.pl

T H O M A S B E D N A R Z

Researcher T +58 301 53 11F +58 301 84 53E t.bednarz@cmm.pl

W A L D E M A R

O S S O W S K I

Researcher

S Z Y M O N U S C I N O W I C Z

Researcher (PGI)

G R A Z Y N A M I O T K -S Z P I G A N O W I C Z

Researcher (PGI)

I W O N A P O M I A N studied at the MikolajKopernik University, Torun, 1992 – Masterof Science in archaeology (special study:underwater archaeology and conservation ofarchaeo-logical objects). Since 1992, she hasworked at the Polish Maritime Museum,from 1993 as Head of the Department ofUnderwater Archaeology. She has directedmany research projects concerning marinearchaeology, especially the medieval harbourin Puck. Since 2006, she has been responsible for theprotection of marine archaeological heritage in the Pomeranian Province.

T H O M A S B E D N A R Z studied archaeology at the University of Torun. He got an Ma for a thesis on the wreck of‘Solen’, a warship sunk during the battle ofOliwa in 1627. Since 2001 he is an employeeof the Polish Maritime Museum in Gdanskand has been working in the Department ofUnderwater Archaeology. During last yearshe conducted repeatedly underwater

excavations on the wrecks located in theGdansk Bay. The most important for him is awreck called ‘W-27’, the 18th century Dutchmerchant ship.Furthermore since 2007 he is a lecturer ofthe ‘museology of underwater archaeology’at the University of Torun. His special inte-rest is 17th and 18th century Baltic trade and connections between Gdansk and otherharbours.

WALDEMAR OSSOWSKI studiedarchaeo-logy at the Nicholas Copernicus inTorun from 1989-1994 (Master of Science in archaeology). After that he worked at thePolish Maritime Museum in the Departmentof Underwater Archaeology and was involved in different archaeological wreckexcavation projects in the Baltic and severalresearch projects concerning ancient boatsand ships of inland navigation as well. On 2000 he delivered his dissertation ‘Study on logboats from Poland’.

The Polish Maritime Museum in Gdansk(www.cmm.pl) is under the Ministry of

Culture and as a national institution it is thelargest of its kind in Poland, documenting andpromoting Poland’s maritime traditions as wellas the evolution of her present-day maritimepolicies, economics, technology and culture.

The Museum has had its own Department ofUnderwater Archaeology since 1970, involvedin the exploration of the archaeological sitesin Polish marine waters. The Museum is also

responsible for the excavation, preservation,display, interpretation and management ofshipwrecks and historic vessels. Within thespace of the last ten years, the Museum hasco-operated successfully with the Ministry ofCulture and Marine Administration to createan effective system of sustainable preservationof underwater cultural heritage.

Underwater Archaeology DepartmentOn 30 September 2005 the voivod for thePomeranian Voivodship and CMM’s Director

signed an agreement which established thatthe Polish Maritime Museum shall be in chargeof underwater archaeology in the region. Theresponsible person in the CMM is Ma IwonaPomian. The Department is responsible for:� agreeing with the Maritime Authoritiesunderwater archaeological work and researchin the area which previously the VoivodshipConservator was in charge of; � carrying out research and recording tasksconcerning objects listed as cultural heritage inthe voivodship.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R P O L A N D

The Polish Maritime Museum in Gdansk

Centralne Muzeum Morskie, Olowianka 9-13, 80-751 Gdansk – POLAND

T +48 (0)58 301 86 11 Main office / +48 (0)58 320 33 58 Secretariat

F +48 (0)58 301 84 5 E info@cmm.pl www.cmm.pl

The Polish Geological Institute is the largestscientific and research geological institution

in Poland. It was founded by the PolishParliament in May 1919, just half a year afterthe Act of Independence. It is also one of theoldest scientific institutes in Poland.

The PGI manages multi-disciplinary scientificresearch on the geological structure of Polandin order to use the knowledge for purposes ofdomestic economy and environmental protec-tion. Besides scientific research in all fields ofmodern geology, the Institute fullfils the role

of a geological and hydrogeological survey ofPoland, securing economic stability to thecountry in areas of both mineral and ground-water resources management, and environ-mental monitoring.

The Polish Geological Institute – Subcontractor to the Polish Maritime Museum

Polish Geological Institute, Rakowiecka 4 Str., 00-975 Warszawa – POLAND

T +48 (0)22 849 53 51 F +48 (0)22 849 53 42 E sekretariat@pgi.gov.pl http://pgi.gov.pl/pgi_en/

26 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

Representatives of Poland involved in the MACHU project:

.

During the last few centuries the coast-line in the Vistula estuary area was

changing. The river itself being the main factor of this changes. In the 16th

century three different routes were used for sailing, depending on the conditions:

so-called east depth, north depth and west depth. Changeability of sailing

conditions caused numerous catastrophes around the entrance to the Gdansk

Port. The proper regulation of the

Vistula estuary area became the

most important problem for the

Gdansk authorities.

In the years 1673 –1675 the decision

was made to execute a number of

hydrotechnical works at the west

depth in order to turn it into a

permanent entrance channel to

the port.

P O L A N D

Introduction to the Polish test areas

GDANSK,

PUCK HARBOUR

AND USTKA

I W O N A P O M I A N A N D T O M A S Z B E D N A R Z

.

FIGURE 2: Test area in Gdansk

FIGURE 3: Medieval harbour in Puck Lagoon

S Z Y M O N U S C I N OW I C Z

studied at the Gdansk University,1977 – Master of Science in physicaloceanography; Polish GeologicalInstitute, 1990 – Doctor of NaturalSciences; special line: Geology, 2005– Dr hab. of Quaternary Geology.He has 24 years of experience, 1977and onwards and has worked at theBranch of Marine Geology of thePolish Geological Institute, from1996 as Head of the GeologicalSurvey Department. Author and co-author of several publications onsedimentology, palaeogeography andenvironmental geology of the BalticSea. Participation in the developmentof the concept and in establishing a geological database for the Polishexclusive economical zone of theBaltic Sea. Member of the WG EXT of International Council of theExploration of the Sea. Participationin a few EU-projects. Since 1998 Expert of the Ministry ofEnvironment in Environmental Impact Assessments.

GRAZYNA MIOTK-SZPIGANO-

WICZ studied at the MikolajKopernik University, Torun, 1974– Master of Science in biology, 1989– Doctor of Natural Sciences, specialstudy: biology, thesis: ‘The history ofthe vegetation of Bory Tucholskie andthe role of man in the light of palynolo-gical investigations’. In the period 1974-1979 and 1981-2003 she was a specialist andadjunkt at Gdansk University,Department of Geomorphology andQuaternary Geology. Since 2003, she has been a senior scientist in the Marine Geology Branch of thePolish Geological Institute.Experiences in palaeoecological and palaeoclimate reconstructions. Head of many research projectsconcerning palaeogeographicalreconstructions of the Late Glacialand Holocene of the PomeranianLakeland and Southern Baltic area.

G D AN S K (figure 2)In the 1840 the Vistula broke its bank at GórkiWschodnie and made the second estuary.Furthermore in the years 1890-1895 theVistula cutting was dug at Swibno area. In thisway the Vistula river gained its third estuary.Through centuries one could observe gradual‘land grow’ at the Vistula estuary and shift ofthe Gdansk Bay coastal line in this area to thenorth and north-east direction.Trade connections and exchange betweenPoland and The Netherlands are confirmedby the wreck of a merchant ship, built in TheNetherlands, marked as ‘W-27’. The vesselsank at the end of the 18th century and thearcheologists from The Polish MaritimeMuseum have been conducting its excava-tions since the year 1985.

27 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 1

M E D I E VA L H A R B O U R I N

P U C K L A G O O N (fig. 3)

N AT U R A L C O N D I T I O N S

Relics of the Puck medieval harbour are loca-ted at the estuary of the Plutnica River, about150 m from the present coastline of thewestern Puck Transgression, in the inner partof the Puck Bay. The site covers over 12 hec-tares of the sea bottom. Today, the waterdepth oscillates between 1,5 and 2,5 m.

R E S E A R C H H I S T O R Y

The site was discovered in 1977 by threeamateur scuba divers. Preliminary researchwas initiated in 1978. Ordered by theRegional Museum in Puck the research wasdirected by W. Stçepien, who focused on thecreation of a site plan. Between 1978 and 1985 stone-ground andtimber construction remains covering over12 hectares were localised. Between theconstructions three plank boat wrecks andone log boat, classified by W. Stçepien as abuoy boat have been found (Stçepien 1982). In1985 timber sampling for dendrochronologicalanalysis was initiated.

Because most of the documents created byStçepien have been lost, the Central Maritime

Museum and the Institute of Archaeology andEthnology UMK, which in 1990 decided tocontinue the research at the Puck site, wereforced to start the inventory from the verybeginning. During the research one morewreck of a plank boat has been found. Since1994 the research has been continued by theCentral Maritime Museum team alone.

C H R O N O L O G Y D AT I N G

Looking at the chronological arrangement ofthe site, slowly created on the basis of obtaineddendrochronological analysis results, andsupplemented with a radiological research, itshould be assumed that the northern strip ofthe structure in the hectare 10G is a conti-nuation of the quay strengthening construc-tion, the origin of the harbour pier. It is probably an earlier, or even the earlieststage in the development of the Puckharbour. It is not, however, a part of the pier,coast protection constructions or mooringpiles associated with the cribs, located in thecentral and southern part of the hectare 10G,as suggested by Zbierski. On the basis of thelatest dendrochronological results it shouldbe assumed that the northern line of thestrengthening was constructed in the first halfof the tenth century. Six of the samples aredated between year 927+1/-1 and 943+8/-6,however all the samples from the constructionsituated south from the specified above aredated on the twelfth century turn of thethirteenth, or even first half of the fourteenthcentury.

H A R B O U RThe site consists of a set of timber structureremains located on the ground strengthenedwith fascine, stones and matted straw.Between the structure wrecks of the fourplank boats and a hollowed canoe have beenfound. In the northern part of the site the remains ofthe two earliest piers together with astrengthened quay of the earliest shorelinehave been found. The piles have been driveninto the bottom in two rows, in clusters, twoor three piles in a cluster, in the section 25 m

28 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 6: Recording plan of the Ustka test area

FIGURE 5: Drawing of a 18th century Swedish shipwreck found in the Gdansk area

FIGURE 4: Wreck W23, Gdansk Bay

P O L A N D

long. The width of the pier does not exceed5 m. Also the sea bottom bathymetry in thearea indicates two separate spheres: a deeperone – seaward, where today the depthsoscillate within the limits of 200-250 cm, anda shallower one – associated with the shorestrengthening constructions, of the depthdecreasing even to 160 cm. A lot of fascineand ceramics appear especially in the area ofthe pier’s root. There is also a lot offragments of basically processed trunks andbranches deprived of bark in the area. Alsoscarce fragments of oak logs with yokeopenings have been found laying dispersedbetween the piles. Some evidence to aid thereconstruction of their arrangement comesfrom the mooring piles which have characte-ristic rectangular cross-section, and are stilllocated in the sea bottom.

F U N C T I O N

Undoubtedly the Puck harbour had a couple offunctions. It was a place of trade exchangeand a fishing port. Sea fishery was in thesetimes very important. It was based on fishingstations. Documents from the XIIIth centurymention for example a fishing station inTrzçesawisko, located probably at the Plutnicaestuary. Artificial pond digging is associatedwith the fishery. A note mentioning such anartificial pond in Puck comes from 1297. Itmight have been located close to the mill,situated at the later castle.Location at the estuary of the Plutnica River,which at that time together with CzarnaWoda (Black Water) gave a passage to theopen Baltic Sea, was also of a great significancefor Puck in the terms of defence.

USTKA (SLUPSK BANK) (fig. 5)The site of Late Glacial and Early Holocenepeat and limnic sediments at eastern part ofSlupsk Bank were investigated by seismoa-coustic profiling as well as lithological, pollen,molluscs analyses and 14C datings of 3 sedi-ments cores. There is evidence that from thelast deglaciation to the period ca. 6500-5500years BP, the Slupsk Bank was a land area, and the maximum water level of the Baltic Ice

Lake, Yoldia Sea, Ancylus Lake, up to thebeginning of Middle Holocene (Littorina)transgression was lower then ca. 20 m belowthe present sea level. The most important conclusion from thepresented documentation material is thatfrom the deglaciation to the transgression ofthe sea at the Atlantic period, the Slupsk Bankwas a terrestrial area. In view of geologicaldata, one can say that during neither themaximum reach of the Baltic Ice Lake (ca.10.300 years BP) nor the Ancylus Lake (ca.9.200 years BP), the waters of these reser-voirs in the Southern Baltic did not reach higher

than ca. 24-25 m below the present level.

The conclusion then is that Slupsk Bank exis-ted as an island for a long time in the MiddleHolocene, and finally was slinked ca. 6500-5500 years ago. It is of vital importance for thereconstruction of the paleo-environmentalconditions, especially those related to themagnitude of the level variation of theSouthern Baltic in the Late Glacial, Early andMiddle Holocene. It is also important forresearch of the remains of Mesolithic culturesartefacts on the recent sea bed of thesouthern Baltic area. �

29 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 7: Research vessel IMOR

FIGURE 8: Stump of a pine tree found in the Ustka test area (Slupsk Bank)

F R A N C I S C O J O S ÉS O A R E S A LV E S

T +21 36 16 546E Falves.cnans@ipa.min-culura.pt

J O Ã O G A C H E T A LV E S

T +21 36 16 546E Jalves.cnans@ipa.min-cultura.pt

J O S É A N T O N I OB E T T E N C O U R T

E jb.cnans@ipa.min-cultura.pt

PAT R I C I A C A R V A L H O

T +21 36 16 546E jb.cnans@ipa.min-cultura.pt

H E L D E R H E R M O S I L H A

V A N E S S A L O U R E I R O

FRANCISCO JOSÉ SOARES ALVES ,is the Chief of the division of UnderwaterArchaeology (DANS). Due to his functions,

he was also a member of the Commissionfor the Underwater Cultural Heritage. In1996, he was invited, as specialist in under-water heritage, to work for the DG X ofEuropean Community. In 1997, he representedthe Ministry of Culture on the Inter-ministe-rial Work Group for the Redefinition,Restructuring and Reformulation of theSystem of Maritime Authority. In 1997, hewas part of the Portuguese delegation to the29th General Conference of UNESCO. He iscurrently member of ICOMOS’s Committeefor Underwater Cultural Heritage (ICUCH)and Professor of underwater archaeology atthe Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdadede Ciências Sociais e Humanas.

J O Ã O G A C H E T A LV E S , underwaterarchaeologist, has been responsible for theNautical Archaeology Society course organi-sation in Portugal since 2002. He graduatedin France at Paris I University. He is also ascientific professional diver graduatingfrom the Institut National de la PlongéeProfessionelle. He is the coordinator of the excavation of Arade 1, a 15th centuryshipwreck discovered in Arade river mouth.He has participated in the excavations ofmany (of the) DANS projects.

J O S É A N T O N I O B E T T E N C O U R T ,underwater archaeologist, is responsible forthe excavation and research into the AveiroA mid-15th shipwreck cargo. He graduated in Lisbon at Universidade Nova de Lisboa.He carried out post-graduate study in Geoarchaeology at Faculdade de Ciencias

da Universidade de Lisboa. He participatedin many of DANS projects, like rescue excavations.

PAT R I C I A C A R V A L H O underwaterarchaeologist is responsible for the excavationand studies of the Aveiro – a mid 15th ship-wreck cargo. She graduated in Lisbon atUniversidade Nova de Lisboa. She is currentlypursuing her Master degree in History andArchaeology of the Portuguese overseasexpansion. She participated in many of theDANS projects, like rescue excavations.

H E L D E R H E R M O S I L H A is a Geophysics Engineer. He is doing a PhD atAveiro University in geophysics applied toenviromental and geotechnics engineering.He is the geophysics consultant of the DANS.He is responsible of the acquisition and treatment of sonar and magnetic and multibeam data in the MACHU project. He has a large experience in geophysics applied to archaeology.

VANESSA LOUREIRO, underwater archaeologist, received her master degree in Nautical Archaeology from Paris IUniversity and she is currently pursuing her PhD degree in naval construction techniques from the XVth and XVIth

centuries under the direction of Pr. EricRieth (CNRS, France). Since 2003, she is the coordinator of the study and field work of the 15th century shipwreck Arade 1 (Algarve). She participated in several DANS projects and others.

DANS (ex-CNANS) is the PortugueseCentre for Underwater and Nautical

Archaeology, integrated in the IPA – Portu-guese Institute of Archaeology, which wasfounded in 1997 with the aim of super-intending and supporting archaeologicalresearch and salvage activities.DANS researchers work in very diversifiedareas, namely non intrusive surveying,

archaeological field works, conservation (itslaboratory is specialized in the treatment ofunderwater artefacts), wooden ship buildinganalysis, Portuguese database management,archaeological collections management,scientific publications and basic training inunderwater archaeology (using the NauticalArchaeology Society training programme).DANS researchers are active in all the

previously described tasks, providing a multi-disciplinary platform that can interact with allthe other partners, namely contributing to themethodological problematic of archaeologicalsite approach, chronological identification andintegration of historical background, datingprocedures, conservation know-how, recol-lection of testing samples and interface withthe general public.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R P O R T U G A L

Portuguese Centre for Underwater and Nautical Archaeology

Instituto Portugues de Arqueologia, Avenida da India 136, 1300 300 Lisbon – PORTUGAL

T +21 36 16 546 E cnans@ipa.min-cultura.pt www.ipa.min-cultura.pt/cnans

30 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

Representatives of the DANS involved in the MACHU project:

ASSOCIATE PARTNER

Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) Universidade de Lisboa, Centro de Estudos Geográficos IST-Alameda Av.Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa – PORTUGAL T +351 218 417 000 F +351 218 499 242 www.ist.utl.pt/en

Located in the south of Portugal,

the Arade river was one of the

most important ways of reaching

the hinterland of the Algarve from

Pre-History to the start of the 20th

century. Regular and well defined,

this river runs from Portimão until

Silves, 15 km to the north, occupy-

ing a surface about 870 km2.

Historical records show that the river, mainlyits mouth, suffered important changes duringthe centuries. A description from the 12th

century reports a less wide estuary than theone that actually can be observed. On thecontrary, a 17th century atlas presents a largeestuary in the mouth of which several sandbanks caused the river waters to flow into thesea through three narrow channels. Theearthquake that struck Portugal on Novem-ber 1755 (and a subsequent series of tidalwaves) seems responsible for these channels’disappearing and for the change of the river’scourse. In the 19th century, it was still possi-ble to reach Silves by the river, however, itsprogressive silting was already becoming anissue.

The first dredging works, carried out in 1970,called the attention of scientists and generalpublic to the archaeological potential of theArade river. Beachcombers started collectingartefacts left within the sands deposit in thebeaches and five shipwrecks were exposedby the dredges. The non-existence of anofficial entity responsible for the nautical andunderwater cultural heritage allowed thedestruction and disappearance of importantartefacts and ship remains. After the creationof CNANS (National Centre for Nautical andUnderwater Archaeology) in 1997, specialattention has been given to the protectionand study of Arade’s underwater heritage.The construction of two jetties in the mouthof the river and the continuous dredgingcontributed to transform the river into a veryunstable context, with depths varying widelyeven during the year according to weatherand sea conditions. These complex processes,allied to the natural microbiology of theArade’ waters, make it extremely difficult toprotect the archaeological sites (known) inthe river.

The 70’s dredging works revealed a 16th

century shipwreck, named Arade 1, whichwas only studied and excavated from 2001on. This medium-size wooden ship, preservedfrom the stem until the amidship region, wasdismantled as its protection from teredonavalis was almost impossible to accomplish.Just a small part of this vessel is still in situ,buried into the sand.

Near Arade 1, it is possible to dive on theArade 23 shipwreck. Dated from the 17th

century, it is a tumulus of rocks under whichcan be found some wooden frame. On thetumulus and around the surrounding areasome tackle pieces can be observed.

Still in the mouth of the river, a small region,known as B1, includes iron and nauticalpieces, as cannons, anchors and woodenframes, not having been identified until now

with any relationship between them.One kilometre away from the river mouthrests the GEO 5 shipwreck. It is probablya 18th century vessel. Visible are severalwooden frames with cooper nails. Theshipwreck extent is not known as the sitewas never excavated for heritage reasons.

Furthermore, on the river-bed all types ofarchaeological artefacts (ceramics from theRoman Period until the 19th century, tacklepieces, prehistoric artefacts) or isolatednautical wooden pieces can be found. This isdue to the river dynamics, characterized bystrong tides and complex silting processes.Both the historical importance of the Araderiver and its hydrodynamic conditions justifythe attention given in recent years to thisarea. In the attempt to understand the riversilting in order to better preserved the shipremains in situ ‘portraits’ of the sea-bedby sonar and magnetometer are regularlytaken. Nevertheless, the Arade river’smouth, being an important port in the southof Portugal and infrastructural improvements(marinas, bridges, cargo areas, constructions)are a constant threat for the underwaterremains of the area. �

31 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

P O R T U G A L

FIGURE 1: The Arade river test areaand archaeological sites GRAPH: J.G.ALVES

Introduction to the Portugese test areas

THE RIVER ARADE (ALGARVE, SOUTH OF PORTUGAL)

V A N E S S A L O U R E I R O A N D

J O Ã O G A C H E T A LV E S

FIGURE 2: The Arade 1 wreckGRAPH: J.G.ALVES

P O R T U G A L

FIGURE 3: The Arade 5 wreck. GRAPH:

MUSEU DE PORTIMÃO

After this time, a coastal spit developed in theOvar region, from north to south, in thedirection of the longshore transport andincreased continually until found the conti-nent near Mira in the 17th century. Actually,the lagoon covers an area of approximately50 km2 and extends parallel to the coast,forming several tidal channels and communi-cating with the Atlantic Ocean through a 500 m

wide channel open in 1804. Its environmental aspects depend mainly onthe water exchanges with the coastal oceanbut the lagoon environment is of the transitiontype, where both fluvial and marine effectsmay be observed.

Conditioned by this geomorphological setting,during all the Medieval Age and the Modern

period, the economic regional strategieswere based essentially on the exploration ofmarine resources (fishing, salt production andnaval shipbuilding).In the last few decades, several discoveriesdocumented this historical background.Between them six ships dated from the lastMiddle Age to post-medieval periods werefound. These remains were mostly exposedduring harbour constructions that allowedtheir study, through rescue excavations.Other discoveries occurred due to naturaldynamics of the system that, despite thehuman intervention, is responsible forcomplex processes of erosion and accumu-lation in the channels.

32 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

The Aveiro Lagoon System (AVEIRO, NORTH OF PORTUGAL)

Ria de Aveiro is a shallow estuary-coastal lagoon system located in north-western

Portugal. Its formation is relatively recent and started less than 1000 years ago

when a littoral sandy spit grew and isolated the estuary of river Vouga from the

Atlantic Ocean. The available historical records report an open coast in the 10th

century corresponding to an estuary system related to the Vouga river mouth.

FIGURE 4: Location of the Ria deAveirolagoon and the archaeological sites

J O S É B E T T E N C O U R T A N D PAT R Í C I A C A R V A L H O

The first identified site was discovered in1970, during the construction of a hotel in thevicinity of the Farol da Barra (Barra light-house) where the remains of a wooden shipwere found.In 1992 a shipwreck was accidentally disco-vered at Ria de Aveiro, dated from the mid-15th century by radiocarbon analysis. It islocated in the intertidal zone on the westshore of the Mira waterway, in a very dyna-mic natural area. The excavations revealedthe starboard stern portion of a mediumsized wooden ship, surrounded by a continuousartefact distribution pattern along thestarboard side.

Subsequently, other ships remains were dis-covered and documented during dredgingworks and on preventive archaeologicalsurveys. Ria de Aveiro E, dated also from the15th century is characterized by the presenceof a ballast mound identified after the find ofa small fragment of a floor timber.

In 2002, parts of a wooden ship, identified asRia de Aveiro F, were recovered duringdredging works carried out inside Aveiro’scommercial harbour. The excavation unco-vered little more than the stern part of thehull surrounded by the dredged elements.Radiocarbon analysis and a preliminaryassemblage evaluation suggested that the shipmight have been built between the 15th and16th centuries.

In 2004, near the Ria de Aveiro F wreck,other shipwreck remains were discovered.This one, Ria de Aveiro G, corresponded tothe scattered remains of a clinker ship.Radiocarbon analysis indicated a buildingchronology dating from 14th to 15th centuriesand preliminary analyses of construction

features pointed to a shell-firstbuilding.

The Ria de Aveiro B/C site,located in a waterway passingby Aveiro historical centre,shows an extensive, scatteredartefact assemblage that sug-gests an archaeological recordrelated to harbour activitiesand possible shipwrecks datedfrom the 15th century to thepresent.The location and geoarchaeo-logical context of theseremains also document therapid changes in the morpho-sedimentary system. For exam-ple, the geographic position ofRia de Aveiro F, discovered inan actual interior lagoon dunesystem, corresponded to anold channel represented in18th century cartography andthe archaeological remains ofRia de Aveiro G correspondedto a different position or widthof the São Jacinto channel.They also confirm that the geo-logical and geomorphologicalsetting of the lagoon, althoughunstable, outline a particularlysusceptible location for thepreservation of shipwreckremains.

In this context, the management of thearchaeological heritage known or to be dis-covered in this area represents a difficulttask. The development of the GIS system andof the sedimentation/erosion models in thescope of the MACHU project will contribute

significantly for a better management of thecommercial, economic and cultural activitiesor of the natural processes influencing thein situ preservation of those remains. �

33 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

P O R T U G A L

FIGURE 5: General viewof the field work during Ria de Aveiro A excavation PHOTO: JOSÉ BETTENCOURT

FIGURE 6:General plan of the Ria de Aveiro Awreck with the artefacts distribution

B J Ö R N V A R E N I U S

Research Team LeaderT +46 8 519 549 58

A N D R E A S O L S S O N

E andreas.olsson@maritima.se

N I N A E K L Ö F

E nina.eklof@maritima.se

M I R J A A R N S H A V

GISE mirja.arnshav@maritima.se

A N E T T E F Ä R J A R E

GISE anette.farjare@maritima.se

G Ö R A N E K B E R G

ResearchE goran.ekberg@maritima.se

B J Ö R N V A R E N I U S has a Ph. doctor’sdegree in Archaeology at the University ofStockholm. In 1992 he delivered the doctoralthesis The Nordic Ship – a Study in Techno-logy and Social Strategy in Viking Age andthe Middle Ages. Björn has been involved inmany archaeological excavations in Swedenas a field archaeologist during 1979-1983.During the nineties he worked as an antiqua-rian at the National Heritage Board and alsoas a researcher and teacher at the Universityat Umeå. In the period 1999-2001 he wasHead of the Field Research Unit at theNational Heritage Board. Björn is thedirector of the Department of CulturalHeritage at the National Maritime Museumsof Sweden and have had this position since 2002.

A N D R E A S O L S S O N has a master’sdegree of Maritime and Medieval Archaeo-logy, at the Universities of Lund andCopenhagen. He has also an ongoing PhD atthe University of Gothenburg. Since the midnineties Andreas has been involved in manyof the major underwater archaeological excavations in Sweden. He has also beeninstrumental in developing and building maritime archaeology in the western part of Sweden. Andreas is the director of thearchaeological unit at the National MaritimeMuseums of Sweden and have had this position since 2004.

N I N A E K L Ö F has a master’s degree ofArchaeology, also including History of Art,Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, atthe Universities of Stockholm and Gothen-burg. Since 2004 she has been employed atthe National Maritime Museums of Sweden,

since 2007 at the Unit of Archaeology. Foreight years during the 1990’s she workedwith different archaeological projects at theArchaeological Excavations Department atThe Swedish National Heritage Board.

M I R J A A R N S H AV has a master’sdegree of Archaeology, also including maritimearchaeology, history and cultural heritagemanaging. Since 2002 she has been employedat the Unit of Archaeology of the NationalMaritime Museums of Sweden. She has beeninvolved in several archaeological projects aswell as inquiries on cultural heritage manage-ment, reburial and in situ preservation.

ANETTE FÄRJARE has a master’s degreeof Archaeology, also including Ethnology,History of science and ideas and GIS atUniversities of Umeå and Luleå. She hasworked with different archaeological projectsat The Swedish National Heritage BoardSince 1990 and since 2002 with the develop-ment of a field based GIS with PAD and GPSfor registration of ancient sites and culturalheritage. She has been employed at theNational Maritime Museums of Sweden asGIS-analyst since 2007.

G Ö R A N E K B E R G has a master’s degree of Archaeology at the University of Stockholm also including maritime archaeology. Since 1990 he has beenemployed at the Unit of Archaeology of the National Maritime Museums of Sweden. He has been involved in several archaeological projects and has also worked with the Swedish MaritimeArchaeological Archive.

The Swedish National Maritime Museumswork to preserve and promote the

Swedish maritime cultural heritage. It is ourambition to develop a meeting place for orga-nizations, associations, and individuals whowork in our field. Within SMM functionsconcerning the underwater cultural heritage(UCH) are handled by the Department forCultural Heritage.

The National Maritime Museums conductresearch in archaeology that is focused prima-rily on our cultural heritage under water and incoastal environments.

As a public authority we participate in severalnational and international projects with an aimto protect and enhance knowledge about ourmaritime cultural heritage. We have a broad

range of expertise to do archaeological studiesin conjunction with physical exploitation ofland and under water. Many of the relics thatare studied are from shipwrecks. The condi-tions in the cold and brackish waters of theBaltic Sea are exceptionally good, especiallybecause there are no shipworms.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R S W E D E N

The National Maritime Museums

P.O. Box 27131, 102 52 Stockholm – SWEDEN

T +46 8 519 549 00 F +46 8 519 548 94 E registrator@maritima.se www.maritima.se

34 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

Vasa Museum, Maritime Museum in Stockholm and the Naval Museum in Karlskrona

Representatives of the MACHU project at the National Maritime Museums:

The archipelago comprises about 30,000islands, islets and rocks. The landscape hasbeen shaped – and is still being shaped –by land elevation. The islands rise by aboutfive millimetres each year, which means anelevation of five meters since the Viking Age,when the archipelago began to assume itspresent day contours.

Throughout history, the scattered landscapeof the archipelago has offered shelteredwaters and lots of natural harbours. On theother hand, the many skerries and shoalshave made navigation difficult for those notfamiliar with the waters. Storms, mist, iceand darkness also made ships run agroundand caused many losses.

S E A FA R I N G A N D

N A V I G AT I O N

The Stockholm archipelago has been popu-lated at least from the Bronze Age and for-ward. Although not much is known aboutthe prehistoric and medieval harbours andfairways, there is a preserved description ofa sailing route from the 13th century, oftencalled ‘the Fairway of King Valdemar’. Thefairway stretches from the east coast ofSouthern Sweden, passing Stockholm archi-pelago, to Estonia. An interesting aspect ofthe document is that it lists several placenames, interpreted by some as pilot stations.

The city of Stockholm was founded in themiddle ages, strategically located on islands

sited between the Baltic and Lake Mälaren.Goods from the Mälar Valley, the miningindustries and the mills of the inland andnorthern Sweden, were often reloaded inStockholm before being shipped to its finaldestinations. Stockholm was a staple marketnot only for domestic goods, but for waresfrom all over Europe. Great amounts of ironand wood were exported to foreign coun-tries, while grain, coal, cloths, drinks, potteryand other products were imported.

There was also an intense trade with thepopulation of the archipelago. In order tosupport the growing capital, goods andsupplies such as sand, fish, firewood, down,bricks and lime were shipped from theislands and traded for grain and manufacturedproducts. By time, many of the islandersjoined to invest in bigger sailing ships, whichmanaged to take part in foreign trade.

However, much of the seafaring in the regionwas due to ships passing through the

35 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

S W E D E N

TThe Swedish test area has been defined as the Stockholm archipelago. It

extends over 150 kilometres of the Swedish coastline and stretches from

Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, to about 80 kilometres to the east. Although

the waters in general are relatively shallow, the maximum depth of the test

area is no less then 460 meters.

Introduction to the Swedish test areas

THE STOCKHOLM ARCHIPELAGO

M I R J A A R N S H A V

FIGURE 1

Stockholm archipelago on voyage betweenother countries by the Baltic or the WestAtlantic coast.

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE

UNDER WATER

History is present everywhere in theStockholm archipelago. The Swedish Mari-time Museums has knowledge about 500discovered wrecks and other monuments inthe area. Furthermore, there are at least 300reports of wrecked ships from the 18th- and19th centuries. Due to the fact that the BalticSea is composed of brackish water, an environ-ment in which wood destructive wormscannot exist, the preservation conditions fororganic material, and especially wood, areexceptional. The absence of strong currents,tide and sand banks leads to a low impact of

sedimentation and erosion. As a result manywooden ships have remained more or lessintact from the moment of sinking until thepresent, often well exposed on the bottom.

Despite a great number of well preservedmonuments the knowledge of the culturalheritage in the test area is generally poor.Although some of the wrecks have beenmonitored and investigated by archaeolo-gists, most of the remains are only known bylocals or by divers, and some of them havenot been paid attention to for many years. Atpresent, it is not known how many of thewrecks that are more than 100 years old andthus protected by the Heritage ConservationAct. The possible scope of the archaeologicalevidence and the status of preservation, aswell as the process and causes of decom-position, has not been assessed. The situation in the Stockholm archipelagohas changed a lot during the last century. Inthe beginning of the 18th century, the areahad an estimated population of almost 3,000,consisting mostly of fishermen. Today thearchipelago is a popular holiday destinationwith about 50,000 summer cottages and 2million visitors a year. Boating is an extremelypopular activity, and in summertime theexploitation of fairways, shores and naturalharbours is intense. Situated close to the capital,

there are also a lot of ferries, industries andshipping as well as a need for constructionwork with jetties, pipes and dredging. Allthese activities are likely to affect the under-water environment and the cultural heritage.

Another question to be raised is the matter ofdiving in the area. Since diving became morecommon in the 1960’s, the Stockholm archi-pelago has been highly appreciated amongwreck divers, mostly from the Stockholmarea. Thanks to the natural conditions and thehistory of the region, there are a uniquenumber of spectacular historical sites to beenjoyed under water. Most of the wrecks arepossible to experience with a common sportsdiver certificate, but the number of advanceddivers, who can reach a depth of up to 100meters, increases. As technical equipmentsuch as side scan sonar and advanced echosounders is becoming more accessible, thesearch for new dive sites escalates and turnsout more successful. There are no fact onhow many dives that are performed in theStockholm archipelago each year, which sitesthat are preferred and the possible conse-quences on the wrecks.

36 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 4:Sjöhasten. ILL.: SWEDISHMARITIMEMUSEUMS

FIGURE 2: Activities and characteristics in the Stockholmarchipelago area that can be relevant for the documentation of disintegration. ILL.: SWEDISH MARITIME MUSEUMS

FIGURE 3: SjöhastenSJÖHASTEN. PHOTO SWEDISH NAVY

S W E D E N

FIGURE 5

It is urgent to get a grip on the impact of theway we are affecting the cultural heritage andto develop methods of assessment concer-ning preservation and degradation. TheSwedish test area will hopefully contribute tomore knowledge on these issues.

P U R P O S E W I T H T H E

S W E D I S H P R O J E C T

The direct purpose with the Swedish projectis, within the frame of its geographical delimi-tations, to map the frequency of diving and itsaffects on the underwater cultural heritage.This is done by using GIS as a method to iden-tify vulnerable underwater monuments andsites with scuba diving used as the main indi-cator. The project will also gather geographi-cal digital data on other factors that can be ofimportance for the preservation and decom-position of the underwater cultural heritage.The project will hopefully illustrate bothtoday’s threatened objects as well as futureareas where efforts will be needed for protec-tion of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. �

37 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

S W E D E N

FIGURE 6: Alvsnabben, Concordia PHOTO: ANDERS BOUVIN

FIGURE 7: Trubbnos/Severn PHOTO: SWEDISH MARITIME MUSEUMS FIGURE 8: Björns vrak PHOTO: ANDERS BOUVIN

FIGURE 9: Tegelvraket PHOTO: ANDERS BOUVIN

FIGURE 10: Älvsnabben, ConcordiaPHOTO: ANDERS BOUVIN

W I M D I J K M A N

Project LeaderT +31 (0)320 29 75 39E Wim.dijkman@rws.nl

H E R M A N H O O T S E N

GIS Specialist / DesignerT +31 (0)320 29 73 79E Herman.hootsen@rws.nl

WIM DIJKMAN studied EnvironmentalScience at the ‘Hogeschool IJselland’ inDeventer and Geo-Information at the ‘van Hall Institute’ in Groningen. He works as Suveyor Hydrography forseveral companies. Since 2006 he worksfor the Directorate-General of Public works and Watermanagement, DirectorateIJsselmeer Region, Survey and InformationDepartment. As advisor/specialist Hydrography he isproject manager of several projects including building a GIS for the MACHU project.

H E R M A N H O O T S E N studied gardenand landscape development at the ‘Inter-national Agrarische Hogeschool Larenstein’in Boskoop. After finishing his study atLarenstein, he attended several colleges andcourses on Geographic Information Systems(GIS). Herman worked as GIS specialist forseveral public organizations. Since 1999 heworks as GIS specialist for the Directorate-General of Public works and Watermanage-ment Rijkswaterstaat, first in Limburg by theMeuse project, and nowadays for the Surveyand Information Department in of theDirectorate IJsselmeer Region in Lelystad. Inthe MACHU project he supports the develop-ment of the GIS application and database.

C O - O R G A N I Z E R T H E N E T H E R LA N D S

Directorate IJsselmeer Region

(Rijkswaterstaat (RWS) IJsselmeergebied)

Rijkswaterstaat IJsselmeergebied, Meet- en Informatiedienst

Zuiderwagenplein 2, PO Box 600, 8200 AP Lelystad – THE NETHERLANDS

T +31 (0)320 29 89 98 / +31 (0)320 29 76 63 F +31 (0)320 23 43 00 / +31 (0)320 29 71 75

Representatives Directorate IJsselmeer Region involved in the MACHU project:

A S S O C I AT E PA R T N E R S

TNO Bouw en Ondergrond (Business unit Geologie)

(TNO Built Environment and Geosciences - National Geological Survey)

P.O. Box 80015, 3508 TA Utrecht – THE NETHERLANDS

T +31 (0)30 256 42 56 F +31 (0)30 256 44 75 E info-BenO@tno.nl www.tno.nl

Rijksinstituut voor Kust en Zee (RIKZ)

(National Institute for Coastal and Marine Management)

PO Box 20907, 2500 EX The Hague – THE NETHERLANDS

T +31 (0)70 311 43 11 F +31 (0)70 311 43 21 E info@rikz.nl www.rikz.nl

38 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

The Directorate IJsselmeer Region (‘Rijks-waterstaat IJsselmeergebied’) is a regional

service of the Ministry of Transport, PublicWorks and Water Management that managesnational waters, roads and waterways in theIJsselmeer region. From 2001 till 2003, theservice was involved in a research-project(IMAGO) on methods to detect woodenobjects submerged and buried. The project

demonstrated the added value of combiningthe results of different data sources in a GIS(Geographic Information System). Bringingdifferent data together and combining themwith additional historic, geologic and otherinformation, better interpretations of themeasurements became possible, and withthat better interpretation of wreck-locationsand their surroundings.

On a national scale, the service has withinthe last few years become more experiencedin the use of GIS-web services and theimplementation of standards as those that willbe applied in the MACHU-project. This iswhy ‘Rijkswaterstaat’ has been asked todirect the development of the MACHU GIS-system.

Main layers will concern known wreck-sites,research-areas, information on measure-ments (e.g. depth) and relevant legislation. Inaddition, outputs from sediment erosionmodels, to be developed during this project,will be added. By combining the informationin a GIS, insights will be produced into thearchaeological richness of an area, the diffe-rent qualities of sites, and the possibilities andthreats to specific sites and their surroun-dings.

For each site, relevant information shown inthe GIS, will also be added to a managementplan, according to the guidelines of the MoSS(Monitoring, Safeguarding and VisualizingNorth-European Shipwreck Sites) Manage-ment plan. During the development of theGIS the possibility will be kept open to addmore relevant management information to theGIS and/or to establish direct links betweenmanagement-information and the GIS.

Once accessible, the GIS will contribute tothe exchange of management informationbetween partners. The combination ofmanagement plans and GIS-system will helppolicy makers with their decisions concerningthe management of sites, and informationpresented in the GIS can be used as a source

for informing the public on underwater

management. Because part of the

information in theGIS will be confi-

dential, directaccess to the GIS

will be restricted to scientists and otherparties concerned.

F U N C T I O N S

The GIS will provide the user with severalresearch-functions. For example, it will bepossible to create charts by combining layerson different issues. Data can be searched(geographically or by content), selected, andinquiries on the content can be made. Forfinding information on data or data sources, ametadata catalogue will be added. With this,the user should be able to find information onownership of data, date of creation, geo-graphical location, sources, process steps,restrictions on use, etc. Data managementwill be kept at the owner of the data (see‘Development principles’), so no edit-functions on the data will be applied.

D E V E L O P M E N T

P R I N C I P L E S

When developing the GIS, the attempt will bemade to fit in with the European guidelinesfor geographical information, as presented bythe INSPIRE directive (Infrastructure forSpatial Information in Europe).

One of the principles the INSPIRE directiveproposes is to manage data on a singlelocation (at the source). For this, the GIS willbe constructed in a way that makes it possibleto access data from different sources, byusing web services. At the starting point ofthe development, all test data will be gatheredin a single central database. When a contribu-tor of data (one of the MACHU-partners) istechnically able to provide its data by webservice, this will be added to the GIS as a newsource. At that stage, the contributor hasagain main control of the information it wantsto contribute to the GIS.

Another INSPIRE principle is that informationmust be easy to find and therefore well docu-mented. When developing the GIS, there will

be much attention on the documentation ofdata, called metadata. This metadata forms animportant lead for finding information on, forexample, measurements.

The INSPIRE guidelines for implementationson web services, data and metadata, arebased on existing standards of the OGC (OpenGeospatial Consortium) en ISO (InternationalOrganization for standardization). This reve-als itself for example in the use of WMS(Web Map Services) or WFS (Web FeatureServices) for building up the layers in the GISand by using the Dutch metadata standard forgeography (as it is based on the Europeanmetadata standard guidelines).

Finally, the GIS will be developed using OpenSource software, improving the possibilitiesfor future extension without the limitations oflicence restrictions, as often is the case withcommercial software. �

R E L E V A N T W E B S I T E S

� Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management: www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl

� Monitoring, Safeguarding and VisualizingNorth-European Shipwreck Sites (MoSS):www.nba.fi/INTERNAT/MoSS

� Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE):www.ec-gis.org/inspire

� Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC):www.opengeospatial.org

� Directorate-General for Public Worksand Watermanagement: www.rijkswaterstaat.nl

� Geonovum (National Spatial DataInfrastructure (NSDI) executive committee in the Netherlands): www.geonovum.nl

39 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

BUILDING

THE GIS

SYSTEMH E R M A N H O O T S E N

MACHUwebsite

MACHU GIS PRINCIPLE MODEL

DATA SERVICES PRESENTATION

CENTRALMACHU

DATABASE

OTHERCONTRI-BUTORS

MACHUPARTNER

WEB-SERVICE(S)

WEB-SERVICE(S)

WEBSERVICE(S)

AND CENTRAL

WEBPAGE

PC

SERVER

SERVER

SERVERMACHU is about managing cul-

tural heritage underwater.

Using a GIS will make it possible to

manage, depict and combine rele-

vant spatial information on this

subject area. For this purpose,

information will be gathered by

the partners and presented in

separate layers within the GIS.

FIGURE 1

Once a wreck is identified as being ofarchaeological importance, managers ideallylike to maintain any existing sediment coveror even promote additional cover as doing soremoves the material of the wreck from themain agents of erosion, decomposition anddispersal. If the amount of sediment covercannot be artificially controlled, then it wouldbe useful to have an understanding of whatthe natural variability in sediment covermight be. Factors such as variability incurrents, wave action and sediment inputmust be accounted for over long timeperiods; it is unlikely that such informationcan be collected locally and predictions areneeded in order to allow for different futureenvironmental conditions.

Numerical modelling using computers providesa means to estimate the variability in thesefactors over large areas and over long timeperiods without the need for extensive fieldmonitoring. The model is provided with basicparameters of coastlines, water depth,seabed characteristics and some tidal infor-mation. Wind and waves can also be added tosimulate storms and other more complexphenomena with a known statistical distri-bution. Using the basic laws of physics, the tidal waveis allowed to move through the modeldomain, thus predicting the flow of the tideat all locations. The output from this flowmodel can then be used to estimate thedirection and magnitude of sediment trans-

port over the same area. By analysing thepredicted net transport of water and sedi-ment, the risk of net sediment accumulationor removal in certain areas can be calculated.We are currently calibrating a model of theeastern English Channel and southern NorthSea which will provide us with an overview ofthis large area. We will then be moving on tomore detailed ‘nested’ models of smaller sub-regions to test the importance of model scaleand resolution on the risk information. One ofthe study sub-regions will be the GoodwinSands, a large sand bank system located offthe south east coast of UK which contains ahigh concentration of shipwrecks. �________R E F E R E N C E S

� Dix J.K., Lambkin D.O., Thomas M.D.and Cazenave P.W. (2007) Modelling exclusionzones for marine aggregate dredging. English Heritage ALSF project No 3365.School of Ocean & Earth Science, University of Southampton, UK. 421ppO.

� National Oceanography CenterSouthampton, European WaySouthampton SO14 3ZHUNITED KINGDOMT +44 (0)23 8059 6499F +44 (0)23 8059 3052E lambkin@noc.soton.ac.uk________

40 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

FIGURE 1: Patterns of sediment scour and accumulation around the ‘UnknownWreck’ on the Hastings Shingle Bank, south coast, UK (DIX ET AL. 2007)

MODELLING SEDIMENTMOBILITY TO SUPPORT THEMANAGEMENT OF SUBMERGEDARCHAEOLOGICAL SITESI

t has long been a primary

research aim of marine archae-

ologists to have an understanding

of the dynamics of underwater

archaeological sites. From the

moment that a wrecked ship

comes to rest on the seabed, it

begins to interact with the tidal

currents and waves; the sediments

(sands, gravels, muds or some

mixture of these) of the site are

disturbed and over time form com-

plex patterns of scour (sediment

removal) and accumulation which

may selectively expose or protecti-

vely cover parts of the wreck.

Individual sites tend to reach an

equilibrium condition where the

many controlling factors are in

balance. However, variation in any

of the factors can upset this balance,

changing the equilibrium and

modifying the depth or distribution

of sediment cover around the

wreck.

J U S T I N D I X A N D

D A V I D L A M B K I N

U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H A M P TO N *

FIGURE 2: Instantaneous flow field in the eastern English Channel andsouthern North Sea.

FIGURE 3: Predicted vectors of instantaneous sediment transport in the region of Hastings Bank, UK.

M A C H U

From holiday to Holocaust everything is tobe found on the internet. With it the culturalheritage is more and more digital accessiblefor the ‘common’ European citizen.Research indicates that the people who visitthe actual museums and other cultural herita-ge facilities are also the people who searchfor cultural heritage on the internet (Kliknaar het verleden, Den Haag 2006).

So the good news is: people can be reachedthrough the internet. And that makes theweb also very important for the MACHUproject. There is one problem; how is theMACHU project to be seen among the vastquantity of digital information concerningcultural heritage? To provide the world withinformation is one thing but to actually beheard is an other. The solution is to link theMACHU site to as many related and not rela-ted sites as possible. Starting with the sites ofthe MACHU partner involved. (Figure 1)

The MACHU website serves two categoriesof public:� The scientific community. The develop-ment of a GIS Decision Support System anddatabase will be (partly) accessible throughthe MACHU website. All relevant data(archaeological, legal and research) about thespecified test areas, wrecks and sites will beon the MACHU website. An part of theinformation will be restricted to the (rele-vant) scientific community.� The European citizen can find on theMACHU site everything one always wantedto know about cultural heritage underwater– in the GIS application and in articles andother means. So MACHU will be also veryhelpful for decision makers and municipality

politicians.As the MACHU website becomes the mostimportant means of communication to thewhole of the EU citizens, navigation is keptfairly simple. The home page (Figure 1) givesgeneral information about the project. Whatis MACHU? For whom? Which countries areinvolved in the project?What is an GIS Decision Support System?How can we protect underwater culturalheritage? On all these questions the websitewill provide an answer. (Figure 2 and 3)

When you goes to the test area part (in themain menu), the map will show the MACHUpartners. Click on a given country and youwill have access to the information about:test area, wrecks and sites in that country’swaters. Sometimes, at the moment, littlemay be known of an area and sometimesinformation is abundant. That depends onthe level of research carried out in an area.So for every citizen – lay or professional –the site gives worth-while information. Evenindividual (archaeological) management planscan be found on the site.

Data gathered within the MACHU projectwill, in this way, form the core of the greathidden maritime (hi)story of Europe. (Figure4) And it will be, first and foremost, storiesthat will stimulate the enthusiasm of thepublic that will eventually lead to betterunderstanding and involvement (commit-ment) towards our shared underwater cultu-ral heritage. Commitment leads to protecti-on and isn’t that what MACHU is all about?

You will find the MACHU website on:www.machuproject.eu �

________R E F E R E N C E

� Klik naar het verleden, Een onderzoek naar gebruikers van digitaal erfgoed: hun profiel en zoekstrategieën.(Den Haag 2006) Uitgave vanSociaal en Cultureel Planbureau________

41 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

The World Wide Web has – in

recent years – become the

digital encyclopaedia (and much

more) for much of the citizens in

the European community. There

even is a new verb to describe just

that: to google. Many European

citizens use the search engine

Google as a first step to find infor-

mation on… about any subject.

THE MACHU WEBSITE: GATEWAY TO THE EUROPEAN UNDERWATER CULTURAL HERITAGE

W I L L B R O U W E R S

FIGURE 1: Home page

M A C H U

FIGURE 2: Test areas accessible through the map

FIGURE 3: The testarea Burgzand Noord

FIGURE 4: The 17th century wreckBurgzand Noord 10

The MACHU project is now one year old. Did we manage to do all the work

according to the plan? In most of our aims, yes indeed we managed to do so.

Some other parts are taking a bit longer then scheduled. However, none of the

delays have effected the overall planning of the project.

PROGRESS OF THE PROJECTM A R T I J N M A N D E R S

Our first meeting was held on October 4th

to October 7th 2006, organised by the Leadpartner, RACM, in Amersfoort (The Nether-lands). The days were used for introductions,deciding on practical matters and discussingthe project outline in further detail. At theend of the three days an excursion wasorganised to the national research centreand depository for historic shipfinds, situa-ted in a typical Dutch reclaimed land area.

On February 12th and 13th the secondmeeting took place in the beautiful city ofLisbon, hosted by the Division of Under-water Archeology of Portugal (DANS). Thismeeting happily coincided with the MaritimeHeritage week, organised in celebration ofPortugal signing the Unesco Convention forthe Protection of Underwater CulturalHeritage.

Besides all the hard work, the MACHUmeetings give ample opportunity to getacquainted with each other, especially

during a good lunch or dinner.

The network of maritime heritage and otherprofessionals that is created in this way willwithout any doubt benefit the internationalcooperation in underwater cultural heritagemanagement beyond the boundaries of theMACHU Project. �

The desktop studies are well on their way,the first fieldwork has been done and thewebsite is in the electronic ‘ether’. The GIS isnow being made on the basis of the formatsthat have been developed within the project.At the end of this year a GIS will be testedwith real information from the test locations.We are looking forward to that. If all goeswell, then we will add more layers and areasin the GIS. So, keep yourself informed aboutthe MACHU project and watch the website

once in a while. If you have any commentsor questions: through the website you cancontact the MACHU project group.

1. A definition of underwater cultural heritageis provided in the 2001 UNESCO Conventionon the Protection of Underwater CulturalHeritage (article 1): ‘...all traces of human exis-tence having a cultural, historical and archae-ological character which have been partially ortotally under water, periodically or continuously...’

2. Council Directive of 27 June 1985 on theassessment of the effects of certain public andprivate projects on the environment(85/337/EEC).

3. Council Directive on the assessment of theeffects of certain plans and programmes onthe environment (2001/42/EC). �

42 M A C H U R E P O R T – N R . 1

M A C H U

MACHU

MEETINGSA N D R E A O T T E

The MACHU Project Group holds

meetings twice a year to co-

ordinate internal business. We use

these project meetings to monitor

the progress of the project, to

exchange project-related infor-

mation and to make collective

decisions on future actions.

During the meetings, all partners

will present the results of their

work from the foregoing period.

The minutes, and all decisions and

action items can be found on the

MACHU website.

FIGURE 1: MACHU meeting in Lisbon, February 2007

COLOFON

P U B L I CAT I O N

M A C H U

P R O D U C T I O N

Educom Publishers BVMathenesserlaan 3473023 GB RotterdamThe NetherlandsT +31 (0) 10 425 65 44F +31 (0) 10 425 72 25E info@uitgeverijeducom.nlwww.uitgeverijeducom.nl

E D I T O R S

Rob OostingMartijn Manders

PHOTO BACK COVER:

A scientific diver installs a

so called ‘data logger’ on a

wrecksite. PHOTO: R. OBST

WWW.MACHUPROJECT.EU

MACHU