The Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA)
Posted By Cem Timurkan on 8 April 2002
The Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) searches, identifies, excavates, conserves and analyses archaeologically important underwater sites. George Fletcher Bass (who has been working in Turkish waters since 1960) Ann Bass, and Steven Gadon established the Institute in Pennsylvania in 1972. Then in 1976 the INA moved its headquarters to Texas A&M University and have made the University a world centre for the conservation of underwater archaeology. The INA's Bodrum Turkey Headquarters were officially opened in 1995 with a new library and readings rooms, a conservation laboratory, and a computer centre opened in 2000. The INA shares its findings with the public through the INA Quarterly, The Nautical Archaeology Series (Texas A&M Press), Studies in Nautical Archaeology (Texas A&M Press in the U.S. and Chatham Publishing in the U.K.), and the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. The Institute also provides professional training and education to archaeology students from Albania, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Greece, Jamaica, Japan, Peru, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, and other countries.
INA History & Projects
The INA's global activities represent major milestones in underwater archaeological history.
The Institute conducted the most important excavation in historical archaeology at Port Royal, Jamaica from 1981 to 1990. Port Royal, one of the largest and most economically important towns in the English colonies during the late 17th century, was hit by an earthquake, which submerged houses, shops, warehouses, churches, and other buildings in 1692. It is estimated that 2000 people were killed immediately. In contrast to many archaeological sites, large amounts of perishable, organic artifacts were recovered, preserved in the oxygen-depleted underwater environment according to Port Royal Project's Web site.
The first scientific excavation of an American Revolutionary War privateer, Defense, in Maine, USA was orchestrated by the INA. It began in 1975 and ended in 1981. Many artifacts were left behind by the fleeing crew, food was found in storage, and personal items were found in the amidships, where the crew lived.
The INA's primary activities have mainly been focused in Turkey ever since a dozen wrecks were located at Serçe Limani, Selimiye, and Seytan Deresi in 1973.
1970-1979
Work on an eleventh century Hellenistic ship, the "Glass Wreck", at Serçe Limani, Turkey lasted 2 years from 1977 to 1979. The ship was carrying tons of glass cullet, and represents the largest collection of medieval Islamic glass in the world. A permanent exhibit opened in Bodrum Museum in Turkey in 1990.
1980-1990
The Institute conducted an underwater wreck survey in Turkish waters in 1980. This lead to the discovery of a fourteenth century Bronze Age wreck with 18,000 artifacts from nearly a dozen different cultures at Uluburun, Turkey in 1982. Fieldwork finally ended in 1994. INA divers excavated the wreck using saturation diving techniques, and set a record with compressed air usage with 22,500 dives to between 145 and 200 feet.
In 1983, excavations started of sixteenth century Ottoman wreck at Yassiada, Turkey.
- Bookmark with :
- what are these?
