Complications and Effectiveness of In Situ Preservation Methods for Underwater Cultural Heritage Sites

Abstract

Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) as an outstanding division of the cultural heritage of humanity appears to be crucial and complicated when more general issues regarding preservation and conservation are raised. The essence of in situ preservation should be equally discussable for any kind of archaeological remains; on land or underwater.

There is a long history of different methods and concepts of intervention in a variety of sub-aquatic archaeological sites; from shipwrecks to submerged settlements. This paper will present an introduction to different techniques and theories of preservation and conservation of underwater cultural and archaeological sites since this kind of heritage has scientifically been explored and studied. A range of different preservation methodologies, from total or partial transference inland, to preservation underwater, will be compared; the advantages and disadvantages of each option will be highlighted. Different examples of international best practices will be illustrated. Different types of in situ conservation/protection will be explained and categorized. Furthermore, there will be a focus on the UNESCO Convention of 2001 on Conservation and Preservation of UCH, where the in situ conservation option has been recommended.

Moreover, the technical issue for preservation of UCH sites, either in situ or after displacement, will be explained. The implication of relocation for different sorts of sites and materials will be argued; for example, cases where some sites, such as shipwrecks, would more easily be displaced compared with submerged settlements, villages, or ports.

Finally, by stressing that the state of ‘being underwater’ makes many sites qualified to be regarded as UCH, the in situ preservation approach will prevail that this state is maintained.     

The anthropological study of Theravada Buddhism

Richard F. Gombrich. Precept and Practice: Traditional Buddhism in the Rural Highlands of Ceylon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1971. viii + 366 pp. Appendixes, glossary, bibliography, and index. £4.00 (U.K.).

E. Michael Mendelson. Sangha and State in Burma: A Study of Monastic Sectarianism and Leadership. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1975. 389 pp. Appendixes, bibliography, and index. $19.50.

Melford E. Spiro. Buddhism and Society: A Great Tradition and Its Burmese Vicissitudes. New York: Harper and Row, 1970. iv + 507 pp. Appendix, references, and index. $17.95.

S.J. Tambiah. Buddhism and the Spirit Cults in North‐East Thailand. Cambridge Studies in Social Anthropology, Number 2. New York and London: Cambridge University Press, 1975 (First paperback edition), xi + 388 pp. Illustrations, maps, diagrams, tables, bibliography, and index. $6.95 paper.     

Book reviews

James E. McClellen III and Harold Dorn. Science and Technology in World History: An Introduction. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins Press, 1999.404 pages + illustrations + maps + graphs + bibliography + index. $55.00 (hardcover), $18.95 (paperback).

Arnold Pacey. Meaning in Technology (Cambridge, Mass and London, England: MIT Press, 1999), pp. viii+264.     

Language,geography and identity: The case of the Welsh in London

This paper explores the role of language in the construction of Welsh identities in London. It begins by mapping out some key theoretical connections between language, geography and identity, and argues that a reading of diaspora theory might be helpful in conceptualizing Welsh identities in the British capital. In particular, diaspora theory stresses that identities are made up of multiple social axes that need to be seen relationally. Diasporic identities make connections with more than one place challenging the notion of culture and language as delimited by the boundaries of particular national spaces. For many Welsh people in London, language is an important part of their attempts to meet others who share a common identity. London-Welsh societies facilitate this need, defining language in different ways, and interweaving the linguistic with other social axes to form powerful senses of belonging. Whilst London is a key migration destination, it is also a space of Welsh identities that draw centrally upon language, but make different geographical connections with Wales. The paper concludes by arguing that a diasporic reading of such processes allows a wider and more progressive understanding of the Welsh language, and highlights the importance of geography in doing so.     

New maps

EUROPE.

Sweden for Peace. The Programme of Sioeden in the Union Crisis. By Nils Edén, Professor at the University of Upsala. London : David Nutt. Pp. 40.

La Belgique : Institutions, Industrie, Commerce. Brussels : J. Goemaere, 1905.Pp. 870.

Place‐Names of Boss and Cromarty. By W. J. Watson, M.A., Eector of Inverness Royal Academy. Inverness : The Northern Counties Printing Co. 1904.

ASIA.

The Private Diary of Ananda Ranga Pillai. Translated from the Tamil by order of the Government of Madras, and edited by Sir J. Frederick Price, K.O.S.I., late of the Indian Civil Service. Vol. I. Madras : Printed by the Superintendent, Government Press, 1904.

The Central Tian‐Shan Mountains, 1902–1903. By Dr. Gottfried Merzbacher. Published under authority of the Eoyal Geographical Society. Pp. 294, with Map and 20 Photographic Illustrations. London : John Murray, 1905.

AFRICA.

The World of To‐day.—Vol. III. Africa. By A. R. Hope Moncrieff. London : Gresham Publishing Co., 1905. Pp. vi + 280. Numerous Illustrations and Maps.

AMERICA.

Back to Sunny Seas. By Frank T. Bullen, F.R.G.S. London : Smith, Elder and Co., 1905.

GENERAL.

The Oxford Geographies. Vol. II. : The Junior Geography. By A. J. Herbertson, M.A., Ph.D. Oxford : At the Clarendon Press, 1905.     

Structure,control, and the evolution of power

Richard Newbold Adams. Energy and Structure: A Theory of Social Power. Austin and London: University of Texas Press. 1975. xviii + 353 pp. Figures, tables, references, and index. $15.00 cloth, $4.95 paper.     

Paradigms and other speculative instruments of social anthropology

T. O. Beidelman, ed. The Translation of Culture: Essays to E. E. Evans‐Pritchard. London: Tavistock Publications (New York: Barnes & Noble Books), 1974. ix + 440 pp. Figures, references, and index. $20 (cloth), $8.75 (paper).

Victor Turner. Dramas, Fields and Metaphors: Symbolic Action in Human Society. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1974. 309 pp. Maps, bibliography, and index. $16.50.     

The policy of non-discrimination and the protection of minority cultural heritage in Albania

ABSTRACT

This paper looks at the effectiveness of the policy of non-discrimination towards minorities in the preservation of minority cultural heritage, constructing a case study within Albania. After defining the key terms used, this paper examines the legal framework of non-discrimination towards minorities in its historical development and looks into the state of preservation of minority cultural heritage on the ground throughout the 2010s combining extensive field-work with interviews with key representatives of ethnic minorities in Albania. The poor state of preservation of minority cultural heritage is mostly attributed to under-financing and the insufficient policy of non-discrimination. As I demonstrate, in the case of minorities with a kin-state in the region, most notably Greece, as well as the heritage claimed by neighbouring states, primarily Turkey, the policy of non-discrimination and the practice of under-financing paves the way for external involvement in the protection of cultural heritage, in pursuit of international political agendas. The paper concludes that more needs to be done for the protection of minority cultural heritage in Albania.     

'I'd Heard it was Such a Grand Place': Mid-19th Century Internal Migration to London

Abstract

In the mid-19th century, the migration of people into London was at its height. Studies of gross and net migration patterns from other regions demonstrate the importance of London as a goal destination, but until now the underlying structure of migration movements was difficult to access due to the volume of material involved. This paper exploits the recent indexing of the currently available censuses to identify the individual migration behaviour of young men from Devon, Norfolk and Sussex to London. Findings relating to the size and locality of source places, occupational backgrounds, kinship and to residential and occupational choice upon reaching London are presented for each county. The importance of information as a spur to migration is underlined and differing responses in terms of occupation are attributed to distance depreciation of such information.     

Groping Toward Globalization: In Search of an Anthropology Without Boundaries

Donal B. Cruise O'Brien. Saints and Politicians: Essays in the Organization of a Senegalese Peasant Society. African Studies Series 15. New York and London: Cambridge University Press, 1975. 213 pp. Tables, bibliographies and index. $13.95.

Patrick Cole. Modern and Traditional Elites in the Politics of Lagos. African Studies Series 12. New York and London: Cambridge University Press, 1975. 297 pp. Bibliography and index. $17.50.     

Still searching for urban anthropology

Abner Cohen, ed. Urban Ethnicity. London: Tavistock Publications. Association of Social Anthropologists, Monograph No. 12, 1974. xxiv + 391 pp. Tables, references, and index. $16.00.

George M. Foster and Robert V. Kemper, eds. Anthropologists in Cities. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1974. viii + 261 pp. Charts and bibliography. $6.95 (paper).     

OBITUARIES

The crime of Claudius Ptolemy. By Robert R. Newton. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London. Pp. 411. Illustrated. Price £15.75.

London map‐sellers 1660–1720. A collection of advertisements for maps placed in the London Gazette 1668–1719 with biographical notes on the map‐sellers. By Sarah Tyacke. Tring, Hertfordshire, Map Collector Publications Limited, 1978. Pp. 160, illustrated. Price £12.

Heinrich Berghaus: der Kartograph von Potsdam. By Gerhard Enmglemann. Halle: Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, 1977. 411p.: ill.; 24cm. Acta Historica Leopoldina; Nr 10.

Vývoj mapového zobrazení Slovenska [The development of mapping of Slovakia]. By Lubomír Viliam Prikryl. SAV Bratislava, 1977. Pp. 481, illustrated.

John Cary, Engraver, Map, Chart and Print‐Seller and Globe‐Maker 1714 to 1831. By Sir Herbert George Fordham. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1925. Reprinted by Wm. Dawsons &; Sons Ltd. 1976.     

Power,Energy and Structure

Richard Newbold Adams. Energy and Structure: A Theory of Social Power. Austin and London: University of Texas Press, 1975. xviii + 353 pp. Figures, tables, references and index. $15.00 cloth, $4.95 paper.     

Women and politeness: A new perspective on language and society

Robin Lakoff. Language and Woman's Place. New York, Evanston, San Francisco and London: Harper Colophon Books, Harper & Row Publishers, 1975. 85 pp. Bibliography. $2.25 (paper).     

Samuel Pepys’s Navy Preserved In Situ?

Abstract

This paper will focus on the wreck of the Stirling Castle, which was one of four ships of the line to perish on the Goodwin Sands during the Great Storm of 27 November 1703. The Goodwin Sands lies off the south-east coast of Kent between Dover and Ramsgate. These sands are famously known as the ‘Ship Swallower’. This paper will discuss what has been learnt from the site’s investigations, the heritage management issues of preservation in situ, and offer a strategy for the future management of the site.     

Quantification and Visualization of In Situ Degradation at the World Heritage Site Bryggen in Bergen,Norway

Abstract

Environmental monitoring at the World Heritage Site of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway, has shown damaging settling rates caused by degradation of underlying archaeological deposits. Measurements of piezometric head, oxygen, and soil moisture content, as well as chemical analyses of water and soil samples are key elements of the environmental monitoring.

Groundwater monitoring and geochemical analyses reveal a complex and dynamic flow through the natural and anthropogenic stratigraphy. The preservation conditions within the organic archaeological deposits are strongly correlated with oxygen and soil moisture content, that are controlled by the groundwater flow conditions at the site. To quantify decay rates, it is thus essential to understand the wider hydrogeological context of the site. This paper presents recent advancements in quantifying decay rates in the saturated zone at Bryggen. The paper also shows that 3D geo-archaeological modelling can contribute to preservation management by visually combining results of geological, archaeological, geochemical, and hydrological investigations. This opens up for improved multidisciplinary understanding of preservation potential, thereby contributing to an improved protection of archaeological deposits in situ.     

THE SYMBOLIC AND SOCIAL MEANINGS OF THE INTERMEDIATE BRONZE AGE COPPER DAGGERS

Abstract

The transformation of hard, durable natural substances, such as stone or metal, into cultural objects with symbolic value has played an important role in human social development. This paper attempts to understand the symbolic and social meanings of copper daggers during the Intermediate Bronze Age, and the reasons for their widespread use within a burial context. A multidisciplinary approach is taken, combining and processing different areas of research, and employing a range of archaeological and ethnographic parallels. This paper allows also for a more comprehensive understanding of the social organisation during the Intermediate Bronze Age.     

Performing with words

Richard Bauman and Joel Sherzer, eds. Explorations in the Ethnography of Speaking. New York and London: Cambridge University Press, 1975. vii + 501 pp. Figures, tables, notes, references and index. $27.50 (cloth), $8.95 (paper).     

On the origins and organization of South Italian poverty

John Davis. Land and Family in Pisticci. London School of Economics Monographs on Social Anthropology No. 48. London: The Athlone Press, 1973. ix + 200 pp. Illustrations, tables, appendixes, reference's, and index. $10.50.     

Book reviews

Frontiers

The Predicament of Englishness

The English: a portrait of a people. Jeremy Paxman. Pp. ix + 309. London: Penguin, 1999. Price £7.99 (pbk), ISBN 0 14 026723 9.

New Works in Geography

Introducing Human Geographies. Edited by Paul Cloke, Philip Crang & Mark Goodwin. Pp. 16 + 368. London: Arnold, 1999. Price £19.99 (pbk), ISBN 0 340 69193 X; £50.00 (hbk), ISBN 0 340 69192 1.

Cities of Difference. Edited by Ruth Fincher & Jane. M. Jacob. Pp. 322. New York: Guildford Press, 1988. Price £16.95 (pbk), ISBN 1 57230 310 7.

Urban Geography. Tim Hall, Pp. 180. London: Routledge, 1998. Price £35.00 (hbk), ISBN 0 415 14084.

Focus on Scotland

Industrial Nation: Work, Culture and Society in Scotland, 1800‐present. William W. Knox. Pp. 368. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1999. £14.99 (pbk), ISBN 0 7486 1085 5; £45.00 (hbk), ISBN 0 7486 1084 7.