|
|
|
| Sunday, 12 February 2006 |
 |
|
 |
Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Exploring the world under water Most of you may know what archaeology is. For those of you who do not, it is the study of civilizations through their material remains. Archaeologists are people who conduct research into past civilizations.
Archaeological expeditions are carried out not only on the land, but under water as well. Many ships of yesteryear are buried beneath the oceans, and unearthing them can provide researchers with stores of information on past civilizations and solve many mysteries of the past. Most underwater expeditions are carried in and around buried ships. If the archaeologists want to study a ship, they will first of all have to decide on their research agenda; this could include details such as when the ship was built, the shape of its hull and the type of wood used in the construction.
An excavation plan will then be drawn up, explaining the tasks and necessities of the expedition, the duration it will take, the number of people involved and the tasks assigned to each of them. The whole team will be housed on a ship which will be moored at a spot close to the site of interest. The team will include a chief archaeologist, several other archaeologists and students, professional divers, curators, photographers and the ship's crew. Some of the equipment necessary for the expedition are water vacuums, GPS (Global Positioning System) instruments for locating the ship wreck, cameras, computers, PVC slates used for communicating under water, heavy net baskets designed to ensure that objects are transported to the surface safely, cranes and metal grids. The metal grid is an apparatus divided into square frames of one, two or four metres and is used to record the objects found underwater. Every single object is marked by the archaeologists according to their position on the grid. Such a metal grid is used in land-based archaeology too. All necessary equipment is gathered aboard the ship. So, how do the underwater archaeologists carry out their expedition? The first step involves clearing the site, which requires powerful underwater vacuums that operate with pumps installed above the water. Surveying the site is the next step. This is done with the installation of the metal grid, where all artifacts discovered at the site are recorded. Then comes observation and record. Excavations are usually carried out in teams of two. They dive down and observe the wreck, draw pictures of and photograph the items they see, and record their place on the metal grid. This way, they try to reconstitute the grid through their observations. If the archaeologists find it necessary to bring some of the artifacts to the surface for further study, they use the heavy net basket to haul them to the top. Inflatable balloons, which have the carrying capacity of 30-2,000 litres, are used to carry the items to the top. After they reach the ship, they receive protective treatment from a curator before they are sent to special laboratories for further study. The archaeological site, once it's exposed, is open to natural damage as well as plundering caused by humans. So it's important to protect the wreck after each exploration. This final step is called re-sanding. Isn't it exciting how these underwater explorations are carried out? Maybe, when you grow up and complete your schooling, you can do further studies into underwater archaeology and take part in many underwater expeditions. Who knows, you may even discover a lost civilization! Facts: UNESCO |
|
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
