Marine
& Coastal Archaeology
Marine
and coastal archaeology form a vital component
of our work as the tempestuous North Sea and its
imposing coastline dominate parts of Teesside.
The sea has played an important part in defining
the archaeology of the area as man has exploited
its resources and used it for trade and commerce.
The
Teesside coastline runs from Crimdon Dene to the
north to Staithes to the south-east. As well as
coastal features such as ports, harbours and military
defences the seabed and coast is littered with
the remains of literally hundreds of shipping
losses, mainly from the 19th century.
Our
aims in researching maritime archaeology run hand
in hand with our work on land. However the sea
and inter-tidal zone present significant obstacles
to study given the difficult working environment
that they present. Even sites in the intertidal
zone can be visible one day and buried beneath
metres of sand the next.
In
recent years, to better understand the maritime
resource, we have concentrated on enhancing our
records of coastal industry and shipwrecks. In
1995 we completed a survey of all maritime sites
and added over 1400 records, mainly shipping losses,
to the Sites
and Monuments Record.
To
enhance this record we have established a programme
of re-active and pro-active recording of maritime
sites. Any chance finds which either wash up on
the sands or are uncovered by storms or high winds
are recorded immediately and recovered where desirable
before they are dispersed or reburied by raging
tides or shifting sands. A good example of this
is the Seaton
Carew Collier Brig.
Excavation
of sites between low and high water mark can be
particularly problematic but we have developed
skills and expertise in this on projects such
as Hartlepool’s
Submerged Forest and the wreck of the Dimitris
at Redcar.
For
more information on Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
see the following projects.
Related
Projects
The
Seaton Shipwreck
An exceptional chance maritime find, proving to
be the most substantially intact wooden shipwreck
yet discovered on the North-East coast of England.
The
Wreck of the Dimitris
Cleveland Divers have been diving and surveying
the remains of a shipwreck off the coast of Redcar
for several years. The ‘Dimitris’
sank after hitting rocks about half a mile off
shore on the night of on December 14th 1953.
Marine
Archaeology & Maritime Related Links
PortCities
Hartlepool
An exciting and accessible learning resource
which focuses on Hartlepool's important maritime
history and development.
Nautical
Archaeology Society
Furthering interest in our underwater cultural
heritage.
Directory
of Underwater Archaeology
Index to sites concerning underwater archaeology
and maritime history.
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