Job loss gloom as business confidence slides; UNESCO Convention; Across the North Sea: Later historical archaeology in Britain and Denmark c. 1500-2000 AD; New Assistant Inspector sought by CADW; Excavating Nelson’s men; SS Robin; LGA / EH Conference; Historic Ships; English Heritage over the coast; Ottoman wreck off Japan; Yet more Odyssey

Job loss gloom as business confidence slides

The IfA have issued a report on the archaeological job losses caused by the severe economic downturn. The survey points to a loss of 8.6% of the UK workforce of commercial archaeological practices in the last quarter of 2008. Larger organisations employing over 50 staff have been particularly badly affected. It is not clear whether these figures include fixed term staff whose contracts have not been renewed during this period.

Business confidence is very low right across the sector and the overwhelming majority of practices believe that the market will deteriorate further in 2009. Many expect to shed further jobs in 2009 and some archaeological practices are expected to cease trading.

The IfA intends to repeat this survey at quarterly intervals. 

What is your view on how the maritime sector will be affected? What will the short and long term impacts be? Do those working in the maritime sector have as much to fear from a prolonged recession as their terrestrial colleagues? Will it result in a long term reduction in local and central government spending on maritime heritage? Will it impact upon archaeological work linked to alternative energy, port development or aggregate schemes and how will spending upon coastal survey work be affected? How will education-based work fare and how should archaeological contractors plan for the future?

UNESCO Convention 

The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage entered into force on 2 January 2009. 

Which country do you think will be next to ratify the Convention?

Across the North Sea: Later historical archaeology in Britain and Denmark c. 1500-2000 AD

The Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology, The University of Southern Denmark, Odense City Museums and the City Museum of Copenhagen are holding a conference on post-medieval archaeology in Britain and Denmark to be held in Odense, Denmark from 22-27 September 2009, with an additional programme in Copenhagen. One of the themes of the conference is the archaeology of the North Sea and its coasts. A call for papers has been issued.

New Assistant Inspector sought by CADW 

Cadw are looking to appoint an Assistant Inspector of Archaeology. The new post holder will be responsible for providing general archaeological support within one of the Inspectorate regions. In addition they will provide support for work and policy relating to the maritime and coastal archaeology of Wales. The post is Cardiff based but will involve extensive travel throughout Wales. Further details can be found on the Welsh Assembly website. 

What difference do you think this will make to maritime archaeology in Wales?

Excavating Nelson’s men 

The February 2009 issue of Current Archaeology reports on the excavations carried out at the old burial ground of the Royal Hospital Greenwich and the subsequent analysis of the human remains of naval ratings. 

SS Robin

The Winter 2008 issue of Industrial Archaeology News includes an article on the restoration of this historic steamship. 

LGA / EH Conference

On 3 February 2009 the Local Government Association will be hosting a conference designed to support local authorities in making the most of their historic environment. The day will include sessions on heritage protection reform, climate change and regeneration. It will also include presentations from both Barbara Follet, Minister for Culture, Creative Industries & Tourism, and English Heritage Chief Executive Simon Thurley. For more information on the days program and how you can sign up contact Owain Lloyd-James on 0207 973 3841.

Historic Ships

A petition has been organised to have historic ships included alongside wrecks in the Heritage Protection Bill.

What is your view – do maritime archaeologists pay sufficient attention to preserved historic ships?

English Heritage over the coast

English Heritage are reported to have discovered over 1000 new sites as a result of an aerial survey on the North East coast.

Ottoman wreck off Japan 

A 76m long Turkish ship that sank in 1890 after delivering a letter and gifts from the Turkish Sultan to the Emperor Meiji is being salvaged off Kushimoto in Japan.

Yet more Odyssey 

USA Today reports on the “Gold Rush”

 

 

 

 

 

Sustainability in Wales; International Workshop 2009; Research in shallow marine and fresh water systems; Underwater archaeology and the future of submerged European prehistory; ASA09; More Odyssey; Ships, Saints and Sealore; Used Soviet sub anyone?

 

Sustainability in Wales

The National Assembly for Wales’ Sustainability Committee are holding a short inquiry into the Marine Bill following its inclusion in the Queen’s Speech. The Committee has previously considered the Draft Bill. MAG has been invited to submit written evidence as part of the overall IfA response.

 

International Workshop 2009: Research in shallow marine and fresh water systems

 

An international workshop on research work in shallow marine and fresh water environments will take place at the Technische Universitat Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany from 14-16 May 2009. Further details can be found on their web site.

 

Underwater archaeology and the future of submerged European prehistory

 

A call for papers has been issued for the 15^th Annual European Archaeologists Association Conference from 15-20 September 2009 at Riva del Garda, Italy. Keynote speakers already confirmed include Dr. Anders Fischer (National Cultural Heritage Agency, Denmark), Professor Geoff Bailey (University of York, United Kingdom) and Dr. Nic Flemming (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton).

 

ASA09

 

A call for papers on the theme ‘Seascape: anthropological and archaeological approaches to the human habitation of the sea’ has been issued for the forthcoming ASA09 conference from 6-9 April 2009 at the University of Bristol, UK. The organisers are particularly keen to hear from archaeologists!

 

More Odyssey

 

Go to BBC Wales for more about the Republic’s Welsh connections.

 

Ships, Saints and Sealore

 

The maritime ethnography of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea will be the subject of a conference sponsored by the National Maritime Museum of Malta and the University of Exeter on 16-19 April 2009 in Malta. Keynote speakers will include Professors Cheryl Ward and Seán McGrail.

 

Used Soviet sub anyone?

 

Go to http://www.sptimes.ru/story/27953

Underwater landscapes conference; Call for papers; Builders find 17-18th century shipwreck; The Neolithic of the Greater Thames Estuary’; “Finding treasure and losing history”; Did stinky seamen blow up HMS London?; Tudor Ports of London; H²Ops; Straits of Dover to be a new World Heritage Site?; Archaeology Festival 2009; The Hunley and the Alabama; Solent Basin Field Meeting; New find in Sri Lanka; Shifting sands expose more wrecks in Oregon; Protecting the Vasa; Aerial photographs; Great Lakes dispute

 

Underwater landscapes conference

CoastNet and The Wildlife Trusts are organising a conference entitled ‘Hidden worlds beneath the Waves: Engaging people with undersea landscapes’ on 25 February in Hull.

Call for papers

 A call for papers has been issued for a session of the September 2009 EAA Meeting entitled ‘Underwater archaeology and the future of submerged European Prehistory’.

 Builders find 17-18^th century shipwreck

Construction workers in Buenos Aires in Argentina are reported to have found the remains of an unidentified 17-18^th century warship under 7 metres of mud. Photographs can be viewed on the Reuters and BBC News websites.

The Neolithic of the Greater Thames Estuary

Nigel Brown will present a paper entitled ‘Sea-change – The Neolithic of the Greater Thames estuary’ at a one day conference of the Prehistoric Society entitled ‘The Neolithic of the Thames Valley: exploring regional diversity’. The conference takes place at the Society of Antiquaries in London on Saturday 7 February 2009.

“Finding treasure and losing history”

Go to Archaeology magazine’s website for an article by Zach Zorich on the co-operation between the Discovery Channel and Odyssey Marine Exploration.

Did stinky seamen blow up HMS London?

Richard Enser’s research into the Lennox has suggested a possible reason why HMS London sank in the Thames in 1685.

Tudor Ports of London

The Museum of London will be hosting a conference entitled ‘The Tudor Ports of London: An archaeological investigation’ on 16 May 2009. Attendance is free but registration is required.

The conference is the culmination of a lecture series organised to celebrate the centenary of the Port of London Authority.

H²Ops

The latest edition of  H²Ops Magazine is available to download.

Straits of Dover to be a new World Heritage Site?

A joint bid is being made by Eurotunnel and French officials to make the Straits of Dover a World Heritage Site.

Archaeology Festival 2009

Current Archaeology, Cardiff University and National Museums Wales are hosting the second ‘Archaeology Festival’ from 6-8 February in Cardiff. The draft session timetable includes a session entitled ‘Digging the docks: Britains portals to the world’.

The Hunley and the Alabama

The famous Confederate submarine and raider are back in the news.

Solent Basin Field Meeting

The Quaternary Research Association and the Prehistoric Society are organising a field meeting on the Solent Basin and West Sussex from 4-8 April 2009. Further details are available on the QRA website.

New find in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Daily News is reporting the discovery and excavation of an ‘ancient ship’ off Sri Lanka.

Shifting sands expose more wrecks in Oregon

The Oregon State Archaeologist is reporting the emergence of buried shipwrecks caused by the movement of coastal sand.

Protecting the Vasa

An 18 million krona 2 year project that aims to help researchers and preservationists gain a better understanding of the extent and speed at which the various components of the ship and the preservatives used upon it are breaking down has been announced by the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning.

Aerial photographs

English Heritage, in partnership with the Royal Commissions on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Wales, has acquired the Aerofilms Collection of historical air photographs. The collection of over 800 000 images is the best and most significant body of oblique aerial photography of the UK remaining in private hands.   The photographs date from 1919 to 2006.

Great Lakes Dispute 

The US Archaeology News website has reported that the state of Michigan wants the U.S. courts to dismiss a lawsuit, filed by Great Lakes Exploration, for custody of what the company claims is the wreck of a seventeenth-century vessel built by French explorer La Salle. Federal law states that shipwrecks belong to the state if the state can show that they were abandoned and embedded in the lake bottom. 

 Also in the Great Lakes a well preserved daggerboard schooner has been found on the bottom of Lake Ontario during a geophysical survey.