Topic ID #8400 - posted 8/20/2010 3:40 AM
Jennifer Palmer
Webmaster
New ways to chart our maritime past: combining meteorology and archaeology
Jennifer Palmer
Webmaster
New ways to chart our maritime past
By combining meteorology and archaeology, scientists may discover old sea routes and mooring sites, and boost our knowledge of ancient maritime culture
"Archaeology has a long-standing tradition in protecting areas on land. But unfortunately, there is little attention to cultural monuments at the sea-shore and under water," says meteorologist Marianne Nitter at the University of Stavanger's Museum of Archaeology.
"These may include mooring and landing sites, jetties, boat-houses, standing stones and house remains – objects which can inform us about prehistoric maritime culture and our ancestors' mobility and travelling routes," she adds.
Together with her colleague, geologist Lotte Selsing, and marine archaeologist Endre Elvestad at Stavanger Maritime Museum, Nitter has studied the protection of maritime cultural monuments.
These objects are very vulnerable, as they are exposed to rising sea levels, increasing maritime traffic and extreme weather, she explains. Tall waves and more frequent storm surges can obliterate them altogether.
"The process of recording underwater and near-shore cultural artefacts was initiated relatively late in Norway, so we simply don't know how many of them there are. And we cannot protect monuments that are neither located nor registered," Nitter says.
Read the rest here.
By combining meteorology and archaeology, scientists may discover old sea routes and mooring sites, and boost our knowledge of ancient maritime culture
"Archaeology has a long-standing tradition in protecting areas on land. But unfortunately, there is little attention to cultural monuments at the sea-shore and under water," says meteorologist Marianne Nitter at the University of Stavanger's Museum of Archaeology.
"These may include mooring and landing sites, jetties, boat-houses, standing stones and house remains – objects which can inform us about prehistoric maritime culture and our ancestors' mobility and travelling routes," she adds.
Together with her colleague, geologist Lotte Selsing, and marine archaeologist Endre Elvestad at Stavanger Maritime Museum, Nitter has studied the protection of maritime cultural monuments.
These objects are very vulnerable, as they are exposed to rising sea levels, increasing maritime traffic and extreme weather, she explains. Tall waves and more frequent storm surges can obliterate them altogether.
"The process of recording underwater and near-shore cultural artefacts was initiated relatively late in Norway, so we simply don't know how many of them there are. And we cannot protect monuments that are neither located nor registered," Nitter says.
Read the rest here.
|
Next topic: "The Most Isolated Man on the Planet" |
|
Previous topic: "North American Archaeology Internship at AMNH" |
|
Looking for something else? Show recent posts in Discussion |