NAS Annual Conference, New Splash webpages, Deep Water Heritage Under Threat

NAS Annual Conference, Registrations Open!
Registrations are now open for the NAS 2007 Annual Maritime Archaeology Conference

Featuring presentations from a range of professional and amateur archaeologists, the 2007 NAS Annual Conference will provide an opportunity to discuss research, review the archaeological activities of members, exchange ideas on managing our maritime heritage, and network with friends and colleagues from both the UK and abroad. See details of the 2007 NAS conference here.

Tickets start from £20.
The Conference Dinner will be held in the Victory Gallery at the Royal Naval Museum, and is an event not to be missed. This exciting international event, will also incorporate a maritime trade display, poster exhibition, the 5th Annual Adopt-A-Wreck Award, and the 2007 NAS Annual General Meeting.

For registration details and more information (including a booking form), follow the ‘Conference and Event’ links from the NAS Website, or our special conference pages. Registrations can also be made direct on + 44 (0) 23 9281 8418, or by emailing nas@nauticalarchaeologysociety.org.

Registrations close on 2^nd November 2007!

New Splash Webpages

Wessex Archaeology has launched a new addition to their coastal and marine website. At the moment the new Splash pages contain details of the protected wreck sites they have investigated around the UK.

Reports for each site can also be downloaded from the site, and even more is promised!

Deep Water Heritage Under Threat

Ian Jack of the Guardian has written an article on the contested claims over heritage in the deep sea. read the article here.

IKUWA 3 Call for papers extended, English Heritage designated datasets go online!

IKUWA 3 call for papers extended
Members take note that the call for papers deadline for IKUWA 3 has been extended to the 30th November. Further details are available at the website , or see the final call for papers notification , the preliminary conference timetable and conference flyer through the links here.

English Heritage put designated datasets online!
Designated Datasets held by English Heritage, including Protected Wreck sites, are now available for download via the Internet. The data is suitable for use in a Geographic Information System and may be accessed here. (Registration is required).

CAA UK Conference 2008, Spain intercepts Odyssey vessel

Forthcoming CAA UK Conference

The CAA UK (Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology UK Chapter) conference is to be hosted by the University of York at the King’s Manor between 1-2 February 2008.

The CAA UK chapter is a forum for research in the area of archaeological computing and quantitative methods. It aims to facilitate exchange of ideas between researchers and cultural resource managers, and is particularly focused on the presentation of new and innovative research areas. The meeting organisers are also particularly keen to encourage new researchers to present their work for the first time.

The CAA UK 2008 Chapter Meeting will be jointly hosted by the Department of Archaeology of the University of York, the Archaeology Data Service and Internet Archaeology on 1-2 February 2008.

Further information can be found here and the call for papers is still open.

Odyssey Vessel intercepted by Guardia Civil
A number of news reports have covered the most recent development in the continuing dispute between Spain and the Florida based salvage firm over the “Black Swan.

Click on these links to see coverage of the story:

BBC, El Pais (In Spanish), MSNBC, Local News Coverage (In English), Local News Coverage (Gibraltar, in English), Odyssey’s own website (requires registration for latest updates).

Poseidon’s Reich Conference XIII, Call for Papers

A forthcoming underwater archaeology conference In Poseidon’s Reich XIII, which will be held on 15th – 17th February 2008 in the newly founded International Maritime Museum in Hamburg has issued a call for papers. This can be downloaded here.

Contributions are welcome from all areas within the field of underwater archaeology, although the focus of this conference lies particularly on:

• equipment and personal belongings in shipwrecks
• the importance of ancient model ships and modern reconstructions for the understanding of ancient seafaring;
• the execution of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

The official conference languages are English, German and French.

Please visit the DEGUWA website for further information on this and past conferences.

Deputy Receiver of Wreck Vacancy, ALSF Access and Learning Workshop Last Minute Places, French Experimental Dugouts

Deputy Receiver of Wreck Vacancy
The MCA currently has a vacancy for a Deputy Receiver of Wreck, to provide assistance to the Receiver of Wreck. The vacancy is for a fixed term position to cover maternity leave. The closing date for applications is the 18th October. Details are available here.

ALSF Access and Learning Workshop Last Minute Places!
The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology are running a free 2 day residential workshop at Sandown on the Isle of Wight on the 24th – 25th October to encourage people to utilise archaeology as an educational tool. They involve presentations, idea discussion forums, practical workshops, a field trip and evening networking. Places have become available at the last minute.

The Trust suggests that the following people may find them useful:

• Education Officers in archaeological organisations
• Education Officers in museums
• Teachers
• Young Archaeology Club leaders
• Marine Wildlife Rangers and Officers
• Diving professionals looking to organise new and exciting events
• Education Officers within the aggregate industry
• Anyone involved in organising events for children and families who would like to have a maritime archaeology focus

Mini bus pick up will be available from Southampton. For more information please contact Alison Hamer (alison.hamer@hwtma.org.uk) or Rebecca Causer (rebecca.causer@hwtma.org.uk) at HWTMA. Further details are available here.

French Experimental Dugouts
French colleagues of the CPIE Val de Vilaine – Association Nature et Mégalithes carry out experimental archaeology using fire and stone tools to make logboats. They are planning to make a new logboat in 2008. They are keen to discuss their work, possibly with an aim to organising a colloquium on dugouts and prehistoric navigation. Further information is available here.

If you are interested please contact Philippe Guillonnet at Ph.guillonnet.cpie@wanadoo.fr (a working of knowledge of French would probably be useful)

Big Data Final Report, National Historic Ships Information Audit

Big Data Final Report
The Big Data project investigated preservation (storage methods), reuse (usability) and dissemination (delivery mechanism) strategies for exceptionally large data files generated by archaeologists, researchers and cultural resource managers undertaking fieldwork and other research.

The final report is available for download from the home page of the Big Data project website.

National Historic Ships: Information Audit
National Historic Ships, a Non-Departmental Public Body advising the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on national historic ship preservation, has commissioned an Infrastructure Audit of all skills and facilities available for the repair and maintenance of historic vessels in the UK.

The information gathered will be published on National Historic Ships’ website in spring 2008, allowing visitors instant access to a nationwide database of services in the form of a readily searchable gazetteer of contact details.

Please contact the consultant engaged in this project if you can supply any information on existing facilities, as well as details of resources which may have been missing or hard to find during a vessel restoration or annual refit. A survey form is available to download from www.nhsc.org.uk.

English Heritage Protected Wrecks Risk Management Handbook

English Heritage Protected Wrecks Risk Management Handbook
As part of a wider initiative to assess the state of all designated historic assets, English Heritage is seeking to understand current management patterns upon England’s Protected Wreck Sites, their likely future trajectory and how that can be influenced to ensure their significance is maintained for both present and future generations. The identification of risks to such sites will be key to how they are managed.

They have therefore developed a Risk Management Handbook which seeks to assess risk by following a subjective process in a systematic and supportable manner by gauging information against a set of standard terms.Three broad factors have been considered when assessing the risk to the nation’s Protected Wreck Sites:

• Condition: the current condition of the wreck, whether in optimal condition, generally satisfactory, generally unsatisfactory or having extensive problems;
• Vulnerability: an assessment of the natural and anthropogenic influences on the site, and;
• Trajectory: an assessment of the management regime and whether the monument’s condition remains stable or is experiencing unmanaged or inappropriate decline.

Download a copy of the Risk Management Handbook here. Please forward any comments on the methodology to Mark Dunkley (Mark.Dunkley@english-heritage.org.uk)

MAG Bulletin Deadline reminder!
All members please note that the last day for submissions to the MAG Autumn Bulletin is this Friday, 5^th October.