a r c h a e o l og y
How did it start?
HISTORY OF UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGY
Text MATEUSZ POPEK
Photos ANDRZEJ PYDYN
How did it start? Who was in the beginning? These and similar questions are asked by historians around the world. However, it is often extremely difficult to establish the beginning, the first spark from which it all began.
S
hould we consider the achievements of Jacqu Costeau
ni ordered the lake to be drained to facilitate their exploration.
as the beginning of diving? Or perhaps those of classic
Unfortunately, the monuments did not survive World War II.
divers, or maybe sponge divers? Despite such an am-
There are also reports of the use of diving bells to extract
biguous beginning, the whole community assumed that we
objects from the water. Much has changed with the intro-
would recognize a French officer as the forefather of all divers.
duction of the diving helmet, which allowed for a long and
The same is the case with underwater archeology. Its gen-
relatively safe stay under water. This is how divers excavated
esis is a process rather than an event. However, as in diving,
the cannons of the Mary Rose wreckage in the 19th century,
one man was recognized as the father of this science: George
which later became the most famous nautical monument in
F. Bass, who died in March 2021. The death of this man was
Great Britain.
the inspiration for this article, as we must realize that histo-
Another powerful change for underwater explorers was the
ry is always created before our eyes and the characters who
creation of scuba diving by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Emil
have changed the history are still among us. We should not
Gagnan. Compared to the classic helmet, the equipment of
let the memory about these people go away, because they
these two inventors was light and easy to transport. Therefore,
it is extremely precious, and we know how fragile life can be,
it was easier for divers to reach and retrieve underwater ob-
especially in recent years.
jects. However, until the 1960s of the 20th century, it was hard
The interest in sunken objects dates back to the earliest
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to talk about scientific approach to these actions.
times. Of course, before the invention of scuba diving or sur-
It was in the sixth decade of the twentieth century that there
face-supplied diving helmets, humans could do well under
was an explosion of scientific projects that could be called un-
water by holding their breath. Sources say that as early as the
derwater archeology. In Sweden, the Vasa ship was excavated
15th century in Italy, apnea diving was carried out to extract an-
and its maintenance started. The Danes discovered sunken
cient monuments from Lake Nemi. These monuments, namely
Viking ships at Skuldelev, and in Turkey, George Bass began
the wrecks of two Caligula ships, became famous after Musolli-
exploring the wreckage at Cape Gelidonya.
