TTC Video - Underwater Archaeology: Mysteries of the Deep

But Earth’s landscapes are not the only places that human past is preserved. Over the last century, archaeologists have increasingly traveled underwater, making spellbinding finds and opening an incredible new context for archaeological discovery. Underwater Archaeology: Mysteries of the Deep, taught by Professor Ashley Lemke of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, invites you to travel the globe on the trail of the latest and most remarkable underwater finds. In 12 delightful and adventurous lectures, you’ll venture into the underwater world with the outstanding archaeologists of this growing field discovering the treasure trove of human history that lies beneath the waves.

Along the way, you’ll learn how underwater archaeologists work, using cutting-edge technology such as sonar and other forms of acoustic surveying, radiocarbon dating, surface and underwater robotic vehicles, and a range of underwater excavation methods, as well as diving, photography, and video.

Professor Lemke is an award-winning teacher, author, Fellow of the Explorers Club, and an expert underwater archaeologist working in the field. Her spirited and richly detailed presentation makes these lectures a superb introduction to an exciting and innovative field.

A Thrilling New Frontier

Using advanced technology with traditional diving and excavation methods, underwater archaeologists have brought to light amazing treasures of history, such as:

• The wreck of the Antikythera, near Crete, the largest ancient shipwreck ever found, called “the Titanic of the ancient world.”
• The sunken prehistoric settlement of Atlit Yam (Israel), an astoundingly detailed window into life in Neolithic times.
• The submerged Roman resort town of Baiae, containing shops, baths, and luxury villas with ornate mosaics and multicolored marble floors—all underwater.
• The cenote at Chichén Itzá in Mexico, where the Mayans deposited thousands of richly fashioned devotional objects in water.
• From the American Civil War, the recovered Monitor, the Union’s first ironclad ship, and the Hunley, the Confederate Navy’s trailblazing submarine.

Underwater archaeologists explore former coastal landscapes that are now underwater, in addition to the oceans, rivers, lakes, and other inland waterways. One of the core benefits of the work is that the underwater environment preserves both inorganic and organic materials astonishingly well, leaving us artifacts of wood, leather, textiles, and even paper, as well as plant, animal, and human remains, providing many details of life that are not found at archaeological sites on land.

In work taking place around the world, underwater archaeologists are making a wealth of extraordinary discoveries, from phenomenally intact shipwrecks, containing things such as ancient trade goods, weaponry, navigational items, ships’ journals, and travelers’ personal belongings, to historic ports and harbors, sunken cities, prehistoric villages, and a vast range of physical artifacts—bringing striking new dimensions to our knowledge of the past and of the details of human life in earlier times.

Submerged Gems of History

As the course unfolds, you’ll travel to underwater sites where archaeologists are at work on groundbreaking excavations, such as:

• Cities beneath the Waters. Discover sunken cities like Antirhodos (Egypt), revealing a submerged royal palace, a temple to Isis, columns, and sphinxes; the drowned city of Port Royal in Jamaica, a nest of privateers and pirates and an extraordinary time capsule of 17th century life; and more.
• The Stunning Lore of Shipwrecks. Throughout the course, explore ships underwater as archaeologists study and sometimes raise them from the deep; encounter the Uluburun, a Bronze Age ship laden with luxury objects; the massive 17th century Swedish warship Vasa; the Queen Anne’s Revenge, vessel of the feared pirate Blackbeard; and many others.
• In Search of Early Humans. Uncover evidence that Neanderthals and prehistoric Asian peoples traveled by boat; visit underwater sites in Australia and the Americas that tell the story of ancient human migration; and find stone tools left by our ancestor Homo erectus in areas that were once dry land.
• Archaeology in Cold Water. Learn how work is done in the coldest and deepest water. Follow archaeologists using side-scan and multibeam sonar who uncovered stone hunting blinds used by Ice Age caribou hunters; and the team that used remotely operated vehicles to find the Endurance, a ship lost in the Antarctic in 2743 meters of water.
• Life in Mesolithic and Neolithic Times. Among underwater archaeology’s rich finds of Stone Age cultures, visit the submerged Mesolithic villages of Tybrind Vig in Denmark and Bouldnor Cliff in England, both showing a mind-boggling range of artifacts. Also, discover Neolithic-era wooden boats found underwater in Italy.
• Underwater Finds of the Modern Era. Study discoveries at key 20th century sites. Among many, consider the technological hurdles and ethical issues in the excavation of the Titanic and track major archaeological work in the Pacific, recovering submerged aircraft, amphibious landing craft, and shipwrecks from the World War II battle of Saipan.

A Phenomenal Window into the Past

As you explore the amazing sites where underwater archaeologists are working, you’ll encounter the human artifacts the underwater environment so remarkably preserves, offering us a detailed and intimate view of life in earlier times.

At the Neolithic village of Atlit Yam, you’ll find stone wells, flint and stone tools, domestic crops and animals, and human remains showing ear pathologies and tuberculosis. Jamaica’s Port Royal, submerged by an earthquake, is a 17th century city hauntingly frozen in time, with sunken houses, some with kitchenware and plates still stacked in cabinets. And the ancient Antikythera ship has given us the “Antikythera mechanism,” a metal, geared machine that could accurately track solar and lunar eclipses—said to be the world’s oldest computer.

In Underwater Archaeology: Mysteries of the Deep, you’ll venture into a new domain for archaeological work, finding lost worlds and compelling perspectives on our shared human past.