MARINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYING TECHNIQUES TRAINING THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII MARINE OPTION PROGRAM

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1 MARINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYING TECHNIQUES TRAINING THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII MARINE OPTION PROGRAM Steve H. Russell Marine Option Program School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology University of Hawaii Marine Sciences Building Pope Road Honolulu, HI The University of Hawaii Marine Option Program (MOP) has a twenty-year history of providing experiential marine educational opportunities to undergraduates in the University of Hawaii system. The program includes personalized internships, field trips, credit and non-credit courses, seminars. symposia, and workshops. One of MOP's annual workshops offers basic training in marine archaeological surveying techniques. A symposium on marine archaeology and maritime history of Hawaii immediately preceding the workshop exposes participants to the academic and policy aspects of marine archaeology while the in-water workshop trains students in the practical side of planning and implementing a small-scale survey and mapping exercise of a submerged archaeological site. Students participating in the three-day workshop prepare by becoming University of Hawaii Authorized Divers. a process which includes CPRIArst Aid training, a medical screening and dive physical, and a checkout dive by the University of Hawaii Diving Safety Officer. Instruction during the workshop includes developing a site survey plan; improving underwater observation skills: implementing non-destructive surveying techniques using baseline transecting methods, triangulation, photo-mosaics, video scans; and developing scientific diving skills, underwater teamwork and communications. Topside, the students learn basic mapping skills and data analysis. Through participation in the workshop, students become more aware of submerged cultural resources and the policy-making process involved in submerged historical site preservation and protection. The basic skills gained from the workshop prepare a student to work as a para-professional diving archaeological assistant under the supervision of professional marine archaeologists. INTRODUCTION The Marine Option Program (MOP) at the University of Hawaii (UH) is an experiential ocean education program which serves undergraduates and graduates in the ten-campus system. Students in the program come from a wide variety of fields of study but share a common desire to learn about oceans many facets. Undergraduates may earn a certificate from the program by completing 9 12 credits in ocean-related courses and a personalized internship or research project (Maynard 1984). Many of the approximately 400 undergraduates enrolled in the program are natural science majors. However, a growing number of social science and humanities majors are enrolling to take advantage of the unique learning opportunities offered by MOP's experience-based programs. With this in mind, MOP has developed an annual marine archaeology and maritime history symposium and marine archaeological surveying techniques workshop to provide learning opportunities for students with interests in maritime history, marine archaeology, anthropology, Pacific Island studies, marine geography, marine policy, and scientific diving. Besides broadening the programs' opportunities and attracting students outside the natural sciences to the program, MOP's motivation in developing a workshop in basic marine archaeological UNIHI-SEAGRANT-WW-90-17

2 nrer::a:1cna1?ac:f1ca Scientdic 01v1n r skills was influenced by the passage of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 (Public Law April 1988; Abandoned Shipwreck Act Guidelines, 1989) which recognized each state's authority over the recovery of embedded, abandoned, and historic shipwrecks (Giesecke 1989). Currently, the State of Hawaii has no laws which regulate submerged cultural resources and no formal plan to change the situation. The annual symposium and workshop organized by MOP will hopefully solidify various interested parties and agencies in promoting legislation at the state level to protect Hawaii's submerged cultural resources. PLANNING ANO PRE-WORKSHOP PREPARATION Preparations for the symposium and workshop. which are held during the last week of March (UH spring break), start approximately seven months in advance. Funding Like many new educational programs, MOP's initiative in developing a marine archaeology educational program has experienced the normal difficulties in securing adequate funding. With MOP general funds, in-kind assistance from a co-sponsor (Hawaii Maritime Center), registration fees, low level corporate financial support in the form of student scholarships, and much volunteer participation on the part of symposium speakers and workshop staff, the program has managed to operate on a budget of approximately $5,000 annually. Presenters Since first offering the workshop in spring 1989, MOP has invited professional maritime archaeologists and historians from outside of Hawaii to speak at the symposium and to instruct the workshop. This allows participants to learn from a variety of professionals and to be exposed to their personal involvement in past and current projects as well as to their individual approaches to marine archaeological research, surveys, and maritime history. The cost of bringing this one speaker/workshop instructor to Hawaii each year accounts for approximately 40% of the operating budget. Other speakers at the symposia have included an impressive group of in-state professionals in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, history, and museum science who participate on a voluntary basis. Without their voluntary involvement, the program would not experience its current level of success. Venues Venues for the symposium and workshop are other crucial considerations that must be worked out well in advance. The symposium has been enthusiastically co-sponsored from the start by the Hawaii Maritime Center, which has provided excellent auditorium facilities for the symposium. Workshop sites have included the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Lab at Coconut Island, Oahu; the University of Hawaii at Manoa swimming pool; and various dive sites on Oahu where man-made structures can be found on the seabed. Student Preparation At the beginning of the fall semester, potential student participants are informed of the upcoming workshop through various recruitment efforts by MOP staff and students who have attended previous workshops. Interested students are given reference materials to prepare them for the workshop, and are advised on the application procedure. which includes becoming a University of Hawaii Authorized Scientific Diver. To fulfill this requirement, students must hold a nationally recognized scuba certification, have current CPR and First Aid training, pass a medical dive physical, and successfully complete a checkout dive with the University's Diving Safety Officer (University of Hawaii 1987). Requirements and procedures for acquiring UH Scientific Diver authorization are determined by guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Underwater Sciences. 80

3 Russell: Marine Archaeological Surveying Techniques SYMPOSIUM AND WORKSHOP PROGRAM The three-day symposium is held immediately preceding the workshop. Open to the general public. the symposium is attended by school teachers. representatives of state and federal agencies who are involved with historic preservation, students. museum employees, volunt~ers, and members of the community with personal interests in maritime history and archaeology. The three-day, in-water wori<shop follows the symposium. and is open only to those who are UH Scientific Divers, mainly UH system students. The foremost symposium/workshop objective is to instill a conservation ethic within the students regarding the significance of cultural and historical resources found in marine environments. Emphasis is placed on the value of potential information from artifact assemblages in situ, as opposed to any value the artifacts themselves might have when taken out of context. Other objectives include basic training in planning and implementing a site survey using non-destructive methods (mapping, photography, and video documentation), improving scientific diving skills and communications, and preparing students to work as para-professionals on marine archaeological survey projects under the supervision of professional archaeologists. Through participation in the workshop, it is expected that students will have a much greater awareness of submerged cultural and historical resources in Hawaii and elsewhere. This introduction, it is hoped, will encourage students to pursue additional academic training and careers in thi_s relatively new marine field. The symposium/workshop program includes a variety of topics which reflect the research and interests of the invited speakers. In general, the program guidelines encompass all topics relating to maritime archaeology and history of the Pacific basin. Hawaii's maritime heritage is ~ven priority in the program planning process, however, a Pacific-wide focus gives participants a broader exposure to the techniques and methods used elsewhere that have potential application to Hawaii's future needs in the field of marine archaeology (Table 1). Table 1. Summary of symposium topics, Historic shipwreck archaeology Post contact and the whaling era Hawaii's maritime history Polynesian voyaging Open-ocean navigation without instruments Artifact conservation Reconstructing prehistoric fishing strategies Kayaking to remote archaeological sites USS Arizona and Pear1 Haroor as a cultural resource High-resolution seafloor mapping Application of submersible technology to underwater archaeology Site mapping techniques Archaeology of Hawaiian fishponds Recreational use of shipwrecks Cultural resources of Pear1 Haroor Hawaiians and the ocean Archaeology of the Nuestra Senora de la Pilar The Empire and Hawaii's age of coal Side-scan sonar applications Shipwreck diving Whaling days in Hawaii Basic methodology of nearshore bathymetric mapping History and restoration of the Falls of Clyde Abandoned Shipwreck Act Status of marine archaeology in California Documentation of shipwrecks in the Channel Islands National Park 81

4 lntemational Pacifica Scientific Diving Resource management plan for the USS Arizona Impact of geological change on Hawaiian archaeological sites Remotely operated vehicle applications to underwater archaeology Federal and state legislation Pacific Islanders aboard Euro-American ships Pacific maritime history sources Artifact conservation Hawaii's "aku" boats King Kamehameha's yacht Cleopatra's Barge Assessment of shipwrecks at Bikini Atoll Conservation of coastal cultural resources on Easter Island Whereas the symposium is abstract in nature, the workshop program is hands-on (Table 2). Because of the inherent limitations of a three-day workshop, the skills taught in marine archaeological documentation and surveying are introductory in scope. All methods taught emphasize a nondestructive approach and the preferred value of the information gained from any artifact in situ over the value of the artifact itself. Table 2: Workshop program outline. Day 1 Afternoon session Evening session Morning session Afternoon session Evening session Morning session Afternoon session Evening session Morning session Scuba gear checkout. Inventory and preparation of surveying equipment. Preparation of data sheets. Lecture: Non-destructive shipwreck documentation and the archaeological approach. Planning session for following day's dives. Day 2 Lecture: Introduction to ship construction and vessel nomenclature. Dive: Familiarization dive on the site. Dive: Establish baseline, commence measurements. video/ photo documentation. Lecture: Graphic presentations of wrecks. Dive debriefing, site mapping, planning session for following day's dives. Day 3 Dive: Documentation dives, continue measurements, make sketches of vessel construction details, continue video/photo documentation. Dive: Continue measurements, continue video/photo documentation, remove baseline. clean up site. Lecture/workshop: Data analysis, final documentation, report writing, and publication. Continue site mapping. Day 4 Scuba and surveying gear check-in. Lab and dorm clean-up. 82

5 Russell: Manne Archaeoto91cat Surveying Techniques The workshop begins with an initial survey of the underwater site chosen for study. Workshop sites from have included a coastal light beacon which was toppled by Hurricane lwa in 1982 and now lies at a depth of approximately 10.6 m just offshore from Kahe Point, Oahu; an artificial site created in the University's swimming pool; and a relatively modern cargo vessel located at a depth of 4.6 m near Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu (Figure 1). With input from all workshop participants, a survey plan is determined, taking into consideration site accessibility, number of dives possible during the allotted study time, individual skills and prior experience of the dive team members, mapping and surveying equipment availability, and specific objectives of the group (i.e. mapping the site, making a video/photo documentation. recovering information from the site that will allow determination of the vessel's historical significance). ISLAND OF OAl!U, KAWA!! CD N Kah~ Point --- 2l"l)' N 158 w 0 LO Hiles Figure 1. Sites of previous workshops. To make efficient use of the survey team's limited time, the group is broken into three dive teams, each of which is assigned specific tasks to complete during data collecting dives. Assignments include taking measurements of the site's features, making photo-mosaics, and documenting the site with video scans (Figure 2). Preparing a site map begins by laying a baseline and taking measurements of the site's obvious features. Basic equipment for taking the required measurements include a fiberglass transect line, underwater measuring tape, underwater compass, writing slate, and data sheets printed on underwater paper. During the measurement-taking dives, careful data collection, proper labeling of data sheets. and effective dive team communication are stressed, pointing out the number of manhours and expense involved in acquiring a small amount of data from an underwater site. After overall dimensions of the site are determined, additional measurements of the site details are made, noting their relation to the baseline. Rough sketches are made of any site details such as small structures on a vessel's hull. 83 "~ ~Lr_.l"..-,;,,.

6 )'' < ~ -~ >< ~~t... A~t~. ~,,, ~ ~ ~ ' ',_ "'-{ ~, -- ~ - ~:. ' " ":,; ;>< -'- "' Figure workshop participants collect data from Kaneohe Bay survey site. Triangulation techniques are employed, and a map of the site is recorded on graph paper using a scale appropriate to the site dimensions. Four data-collecting dives are performed during the first two days of the worl<shop, followed by debriefing sessions each evening when the day's data are plotted onto an emerging site map and plans for the following day's dive are made. Lectures on topics such as marine artifact analysis and conservation, final report writing, and techniques for graphically documenting a site are held in the evening after the day s dives are completed. The final dive of the workshop is dedicated to site cleanup with the aim of leaving the site just as it was found at the 84

7 Russell: Manne Archaeological Surveying Techniques beginning of the workshop. Staff necessary to conduct a workshop for approximately 15 students includes the instructor, workshop coordinator, equipment logistics assistant. and a cook. The equipment logistics assistant and cook are usually students. CONCLUSIONS Through participation in the symposium and workshop. students gain a conservation ethic and increased awareness and appreciation regarding the historical and cultural value of submerged resources. These students, many of them recreational divers, now view shipwrecks and artifacts found in the marine environment with a greater sense of their value in terms of the potential information they hold as opposed to the value of the objects themselves out of context. Their scientific diving skills and observational skills are improved, as well as their ability to work as part of a team in the underwater environment. After the workshop experience, students are encouraged to pursue their interests in maritime archaeology by becoming involved with other workshops and survey projects, developing a MOP internship, or even pursuing a degree and career in nautical archaeology and maritime history. During the course of the symposia and workshops, students have learned of numerous underwater sites along the coasts of the Hawaiian Islands where submerged cultural resources are found. And, the need to document and protect these sites has become apparent. Additionally, students are more aware of well-known sites in Hawaii such as the USS Arizona and little-known sites such as the Empire shipwreck, and the efforts necessary to manage these cultural and historical resources in a way that ensures their preservation (Lenihan et al. 1989; Hendricks 1991). Even though the workshop is organized and implemented on a small-scale budget, with basic surveying equipment and with a small staff, the unique educational opportunities made available and the doors opened for students are significant. It is hoped that this workshop will serve as a catalyst to promote the study, documentation, and conservation of Hawaii's submerged cultural resources. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The workshop and symposium on maritime archaeology have developed over the past three years with the assistance of numerous people and organizations. Hawaii Maritime Center (HMC) has offered generous assistance from the beginning by providing an excellent facility for the symposium. HMC staff members Evarts Fox, Mackinnon Simpson, Dorian Travers, and Jim Sharp continue to supi)ort the program. Sherwood Maynard, MOP Director, initiated the program concept in Hawaii, and continues to offer guidance and support. Duncan Mathewson, William Lee, and James Delgado, workshop instructors and symposium keynote speakers, continue to make important contributions to the workshop's evolution. Heidi Tobias-Smith continues to make contributions with program planning. John Pye, Maui Community College MOP Coordinator. has volunteered his services as divemaster. John Coney, UH Hilo Marine Option Program Coordinator, has assisted with workshop logistics. Too numerous to mention are the people who have contributed to the symposium by reporting on their research and personal involvement in maritime archaeology and history. Scholarship support has been provided by Atlantis Submarines Hawaii, L.P., Unitek Environmental Consultants, Inc., Sony Hawaii, Alice Roberts, Dottie Wendt, and Shiela Conant. The University of Hawaii Foundation, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, and University of Hawaii Marine Option Program have provided funding. LITERATURE CITED Abandoned Shipwreck Act Guidelines Federal Register. 54, No. 63, pp Giesecke. A.G Abandoned shipwreck act - business as usual. Sea Technology, 30: 101. Hendricks, P The ship that brought coals from Newcastle. The Waimea-Kona Gazette, 5:

8 tntemationat Pacifica Scientific Diving Lenihan, D. J, J. P. Delgado. B. Dickinson, G. Cummins. S. Henderson, D. A. Martinez, and L. E Murphy 19a9. Submerged cultural resources study: USS Arizona Memorial and Peart HarbQ~ National Historic Landmark. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers, No. 23 Santa Fe, New Mexico. 192 pp. ' Maynard, S. D An undergraduate marine internship and activities program for the University of Hawaii system. pp In: Proceedings of Oceans '84. Public Law (April 28, 1988), Abandoned Shipwreck Act of Statutes at Large, pp University of Hawaii System Manual of Standards for Scientific Diving Programs University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. 79 pp. 86