Our Blue Planet

Our Blue Planet provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of maritime and underwater archaeology. Situating the field within the broader study of history and archaeology, this book advocates that an understanding of how our ancestors interacted with rivers, lakes, and oceans is integral to comprehending the human past. Our Blue Planet covers the full breadth of maritime and underwater archaeology, including formerly terrestrial sites drowned by rising sea levels, coastal sites, and a wide variety of wreck sites ranging across the globe and spanning from antiquity to World War II.
Beginning with a definition of the field and several chapters dedicated to the methods of finding, recording, and interpreting submerged sites, Our Blue Planet provides an entry point for all readers, whether or not they are familiar with maritime and underwater archaeology or archaeology in general. The book then shifts to a thematic approach with chapters exploring human interactions with the watery world, both along the coasts and by ship. These chapters discuss the relationships between culture, technology, and environment that allowed humans through time to spread across the globe. Because ships were the primary means for humans to interact with large bodies of water, they are the focus of several chapters on the development of shipbuilding technology, the lives of sailors, and the uses of ships in exploration, expansion, and warfare. The book ends with chapters on how and why the non-renewable submerged archaeological record should be managed, so that both current and future generations can learn from the achievements and failures of past societies, as well as on how anyone can become involved in maritime and underwater archaeology. Throughout, the reader benefits from the personal reflections of a number of leading figures in the field.

Ben Ford is a Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania specializing in maritime and historical archaeology. His Ph.D. from Texas A&M University was preceded by several years of cultural resource management experience and degrees from the College of William and Mary and the University of Cincinnati. He is a Registered Professional Archaeologist and the 2015 Archaeological Institute of America McCann-Taggart Underwater Archaeology Lecturer.
Jessi Halligan is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Florida State University specializing in the geoarchaeology of inundated landscapes and the peopling of the Americas. Her PhD from Texas A&M University was preceded by several years of cultural resource management in the Northeast and Great Plains of the United States, and by a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Harvard University specializing in archaeology.
Alexis Catsambis is a Maritime Archaeologist with the Naval History and Heritage Command in
Washington, DC, specializing in heritage management and nautical archaeology. He holds his doctoral and graduate degrees from Texas A&M University and completed his undergraduate studies with the Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity of the University of Birmingham. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Washington DC Society of the Archaeological Institute of America.

- List of Figures and Tables
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- A Note on Names
- Timeline
- Introduction
- PART I
- Chapter 1: What We Can Learn From Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- George Bass, Professor Emeritus, Texas AandM University, USA
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Pilar Luna Erreguerena, Archaeologist, Vice- Directorate of Underwater Archaeology, National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), Mexico
- Chapter 2: What Is Maritime and Underwater Archaeology and Why Is It Important?
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Dolores Elkin, Director, Underwater Archaeology Program, National Institute of Anthropology, Argentina
- Chapter 3: How Do We Learn from Things?
- Sidebar: Indigenous Collaboration
- Madeline Fowlera and Rigney Lester- Irabinnab, Senior Research Fellow in Archaeology, University of Southampton; bProfessor of Education, University of South Australia, Australia
- PART II
- Chapter 4: Archaeological Research in an Underwater Environment
- Sidebar: Marine Archaeology and Development
- Christopher E. Horrell, Federal Preservation Officer/ Senior Marine Archaeologist, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, USA
- Sidebar: Coastal Archaeology and Shoreline Change Along The Indian Coast
- Aniruddh S. Gaur, Marine Archaeology Center, CSIR- National Institute of Oceanography, India
- Chapter 5: Documenting and Excavating Underwater Sites: Digging and Drawing without Drowning
- Sidebar: Deepwater Archaeology: A Rapidly Emerging Field
- Dan Davis, Department of Classics, Luther College, USA
- Sidebar: Basic Chemistry and Techniques of Archaeological Conservation
- Donny L. Hamilton, Director, Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, Texas AandM University, USA
- Chapter 6: Putting it All Together: How to Get from Site to People
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Marc- André Bernier, Manager, Underwater Archaeology, Archaeology and History, Parks Canada, Canada
- Sidebar: Connecting The Dots of Maritime Archaeology and History
- Kevin Crisman, Professor, Nautical Archaeology Graduate Program, Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Texas AandM University, USA
- PART III
- Chapter 7: Interacting with the Environment
- Sidebar: Maritime Archaeology and Environmental Change
- Mark Dunkley, Maritime Archaeologist, Historic England, UK
- Sidebar: From The Neolithic to The 20th Century: Underwater Archaeology in Israel Reveals 10,000 Years of Maritime History
- Ehud Galili, Senior Researcher, Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Israel
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Michael K. Faught, Vice President and Treasurer, Archaeological Research Cooperative; Maritime Archaeologist, SEARCH, Inc., USA
- Chapter 8: Inhabiting the Coast
- Sidebar: Maritime Archaeology of Buried Ships and Harbors
- James P. Delgado, Senior Vice President, SEARCH, Inc., USA
- Chapter 9: Ships
- Sidebar: The Science of Ship Design
- Eric Reith, Director of Research Emeritus, CNRS, LAMOP, Musée national de la Marine, France
- Chapter 10: Life Afloat: Sailors and Seafaring
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Johan Rönnby, Professor, MARIS, Södertörn University, Sweden
- Chapter 11: Exploration, Colonization, Trade, and Extraction
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Bruno E.J.S. Werz, CEO, African Institute for Marine and Underwater Research, Exploration and Education (AIMURE), South Africa
- Chapter 12: Warfare at Sea
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Randall Sasaki, Researcher, Kyushu National Museum, Japan
- PART IV
- Chapter 13: Managing and Valuing Underwater Cultural Heritage
- Sidebar: What Matters in Underwater Archaeology is The Thinking, Not The Sinking
- Thijs J. Maarleveld, Professor of Maritime Archaeology, Department of History, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
- Sidebar: The Role of Government in Maritime Archaeology
- George Koutsouflakis, Director, Department of Underwater Archaeological Sites, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Kim Faulk, Chief Operating Officer, PAST Foundation, USA
- Chapter 14: Conclusions: The Future of Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Stella Demesticha, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
- Sidebar: My Most Important Contribution to Maritime and Underwater Archaeology
- Jennifer McKinnon, Associate Professor, Maritime Studies Program, Maritime History and Archaeology, East Carolina University, USA
- Sidebar: Using Maritime Archaeology to Teach The World
- Annalies Corbin, President and CEO, PAST Foundation, USA
- Glossary of Terms
- List of References, Sorted By Chapter