4 ms·

I just can't get enough of underwater archaeology. I'm sure so much of our shared history is buried along the continental shelves

nonethewiser 3y ago
> I'm sure so much of our shared history is buried along the continental shelves Yup temperatures and sea levels have been rising for a long time. It’s amazing what geography looks like when you lower sea level.
- FredPret 3y ago
  Is the undersea environment better or worse than being on/in dry land? One immediate benefit is that there would've been fewer thieves looting the artifacts.
  - lukan 3y ago
    Saltwater is bad, but sediments will protect most of it (hopefully). In general way worse, than on land I would say. Ideally, something is conserved under dry and oxygenfree conditions. But even in a swamp, without oxygen - amazing things have been found. The question is probably, was everything covered before the salt water came, or afterwards. And stable. And while in the water with currents that can change, it is possible that everything gets washed free and then covered again over time. Also not good. (Also exicted about the topic, I am strongly thinking about buying a professional metal detector. Close to where I live, there was one 3000 year old burial site found, I strongly suspect, there are more. And this site, is also not that far from me and 20 m is something you can dive (but I need to train that again))
    - adastra22 3y ago
      Also drag-net fishing and boat anchors are really, really bad to preservation of sites. Unfortunately most of the likely archeological sites are also, for obvious reasons, just off the coast where such activities are common.
    - Qwertious 3y ago
      >Ideally, something is conserved under dry and oxygenfree conditions. As a result, a disproportionate amount of our knowledge of Roman bureaucracy comes from Egypt, simply because papyrus preserves so well (even accidentally) in so much of the area. It makes research somewhat awkward, because we know Egypt received special treatment in some ways but it's so often a sample-size of one that we don't know if lots of things are an Egypt thing or a Roman-province thing.
      - pests 3y ago
        Mind detailing more about the special treatment they received? Sounds interesting
        kwoff 3y ago
        I'm guessing the "special treatment" was that they were nerfed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Egypt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Egypt "Egypt was unique in that its garrison was commanded by the praefectus Aegypti, an official of the equestrian order, rather than, as in other provinces, a governor of the senatorial class." They didn't want another Cleopatra/Mark Antony situation.
  - pchristensen 3y ago
    Cold freshwater like the Great Lakes is great for preserving stuff - Michigan has a strong wreck diving ecosystem.
palmfacehn 3y ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq-Jyb4bPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq-Jyb4bPw >The Arabian Gulf has one of the longest and richest seafaring traditions anywhere in the world. Prior to 8,000 years ago sea levels were considerably lower and the land to the north of the Emirates was an open and potentially fertile landscape. This landscape is an untapped resource, offering the prospect of not only ancient wrecks, but discoveries from the distant prehistoric submerged landscape of Abu Dhabi. >This talk delves into the intricacies surrounding the Arabian Gulf as it relates its' position as an archaeological treasure. Presented by Dr. Richard Cuttler
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- patrickwalton 3y ago
  Fall of Civilizations Podcast talks about this with the article on Mesopotamia!
pjmlp 3y ago
At the coast line, https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/22/pavlopetri-greece-ancient-underwater-city/ https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/22/pavlopetri-greece-ancie... Or modern victims of dam building, https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spanish-sunken-village https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spanish-sunken-vil...

nonethewiser 3y ago

> I'm sure so much of our shared history is buried along the continental shelves Yup temperatures and sea levels have been rising for a long time. It’s amazing what geography looks like when you lower sea level.

FredPret 3y ago
Is the undersea environment better or worse than being on/in dry land? One immediate benefit is that there would've been fewer thieves looting the artifacts.
- lukan 3y ago
  Saltwater is bad, but sediments will protect most of it (hopefully). In general way worse, than on land I would say. Ideally, something is conserved under dry and oxygenfree conditions. But even in a swamp, without oxygen - amazing things have been found. The question is probably, was everything covered before the salt water came, or afterwards. And stable. And while in the water with currents that can change, it is possible that everything gets washed free and then covered again over time. Also not good. (Also exicted about the topic, I am strongly thinking about buying a professional metal detector. Close to where I live, there was one 3000 year old burial site found, I strongly suspect, there are more. And this site, is also not that far from me and 20 m is something you can dive (but I need to train that again))
  - adastra22 3y ago
    Also drag-net fishing and boat anchors are really, really bad to preservation of sites. Unfortunately most of the likely archeological sites are also, for obvious reasons, just off the coast where such activities are common.
  - Qwertious 3y ago
    >Ideally, something is conserved under dry and oxygenfree conditions. As a result, a disproportionate amount of our knowledge of Roman bureaucracy comes from Egypt, simply because papyrus preserves so well (even accidentally) in so much of the area. It makes research somewhat awkward, because we know Egypt received special treatment in some ways but it's so often a sample-size of one that we don't know if lots of things are an Egypt thing or a Roman-province thing.
    - pests 3y ago
      Mind detailing more about the special treatment they received? Sounds interesting
      - kwoff 3y ago
        I'm guessing the "special treatment" was that they were nerfed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Egypt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Egypt "Egypt was unique in that its garrison was commanded by the praefectus Aegypti, an official of the equestrian order, rather than, as in other provinces, a governor of the senatorial class." They didn't want another Cleopatra/Mark Antony situation.
- pchristensen 3y ago
  Cold freshwater like the Great Lakes is great for preserving stuff - Michigan has a strong wreck diving ecosystem.

palmfacehn 3y ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq-Jyb4bPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eq-Jyb4bPw >The Arabian Gulf has one of the longest and richest seafaring traditions anywhere in the world. Prior to 8,000 years ago sea levels were considerably lower and the land to the north of the Emirates was an open and potentially fertile landscape. This landscape is an untapped resource, offering the prospect of not only ancient wrecks, but discoveries from the distant prehistoric submerged landscape of Abu Dhabi. >This talk delves into the intricacies surrounding the Arabian Gulf as it relates its' position as an archaeological treasure. Presented by Dr. Richard Cuttler

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
patrickwalton 3y ago
Fall of Civilizations Podcast talks about this with the article on Mesopotamia!

pjmlp 3y ago

At the coast line, https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/22/pavlopetri-greece-ancient-underwater-city/ https://greekreporter.com/2024/01/22/pavlopetri-greece-ancie... Or modern victims of dam building, https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spanish-sunken-village https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/spanish-sunken-vil...