Flinders University Maritime Archaeology Program. Summer Update 2009

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1 Flinders University Maritime Archaeology Program Summer Update 2009

2 CONTENTS A WORD FROM THE CONVENOR 3 Mapping our people... ADAM PATERSON - PhD Candidate 4 AMER KHAN - Alumni 5 JESSICA BERRY - Alumni 5 DEBRA SHEFI - PhD Candidate 6 EMILY JATEFF - Staff 7 JAMES W HUNTER - PhD Candidate 8 JUN KIMURA - PhD Candidate 9 MATT CARTER - Alumni 9 JENNIFER McKINNON - Staff 10 JOHN NAUMANN - Staff 11 RHONDA STEEL - Alumni 12 SHAWN ARNOLD - Master of Maritime Archaeology Student 13 MARK STANIFORTH - Staff 14 Flinders Research Grant: SPANISH COLONIAL RESEARCH IN THE PACIFIC - Jennifer McKinnon - Staff 15 Front cover: Left to right: Zaineb Tahir (ALA Fellow from Indonesia) and MAP staff member Emily Jateff establishing the grid for a magnetomer survey on the beach at Sceale Bay, Eyre Peninsula. (Photo by Mark Staniforth, Courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program)

3 A word from the Convenor This Summer Update 2009 will focus on the people who work and study or have studied in the Maritime Archaeology Program (MAP) at Flinders University. It has brief biographies of MAP staff including Mark Staniforth, Jennifer McKinnon, Emily Jateff and John Naumann and PhD candidates Jun Kimura, James Hunter, Debra Shefi and Adam Paterson as well as some of our MAP alumni like Jessica Berry, Rhonda Steel, Matt Carter and Amer Khan. The origins of the Maritime Archaeology Program lie with the introduction of maritime archaeology topics within the recently established Bachelor of Archaeology degree at Flinders University in For twelve years now the teaching of maritime archaeology at undergraduate level has allowed students to specialise in maritime archaeology either in the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Archaeology. In 2002 MAP expanded to include a Graduate (coursework) Program in Maritime Archaeology which is designed to both meet the needs of students who already have a four year degree in archaeology or anthropology and wish to specialize in maritime archaeology, as well as those who come from a different academic background (such as history) and wish to move to a new career path. It is now the largest sustained and most successful program of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region and is rated as one of the top six programs in the world. MAP alumni find employment in maritime archaeology, archaeology or related fields using the skills and knowledge that they developed during their studies. A recent survey of 28 MMA alumni, for example, showed that 82% have obtained jobs in maritime archaeology, archaeology or related fields and 14% are working in unrelated fields (with 4% unknown). MAP alumni are now working in archaeology, maritime archaeology or related positions in universities, government cultural heritage agencies, museums and consultancy companies as well as studying and teaching at universities in NSW, Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland in Australia as well as overseas in the USA, Canada and New Zealand. Flinders Maritime Archaeology Program will be undertaking exciting future innovations including the purchase of widely-needed equipment with a particular emphasis on fundraising for a new research vessel (see page 8). I look forward to your continued support. Associate Professor Mark Staniforth Convenor, Maritime Archaeology Programs Page 3

4 ADAM PATERSON PhD candidate Adam Paterson undertook undergraduate studies specializing in historical and industrial archaeology at Flinders University (South Australia) including two semesters of international exchange to Leicester University (United Kingdom). Adam s study at Leicester was partially supported by a Flinders University study abroad allowance. In 2004 Adam completed his honours degree in archaeology at Flinders University. His research thesis examined the underlying reasons behind the construction of a comparatively well made tryworks at the former Sleaford Bay shore whaling station, situated on the isolated south coast of the Eyre Peninsular, South Australia. The thesis concluded that rather than being related to functional or environmental factors the apparent over engineering of the tryworks was more likely to be related to social factors associated with the operation and management of the station. Adam s thesis has been published in the Flinders University, Department of Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology Monograph Series, and he has also co-edited and contributed to the peer reviewed Proceedings of the National Archaeology Students Conference 2004: Explorations, Investigations and New Directions. After completing his honours degree Adam worked as a heritage consultant. Initially working as a sub-contractor Adam was employed on a permanent full time basis with Archaeological and Heritage Management Solutions Pty Ltd January 2005 March During his employment at AHMS Adam gained valuable experience as a project archaeologist for a variety of public and private sector developments in NSW; ranging from small-scale residential and commercial developments to large-scale Part 3A major projects. Adam has also codirected several historical archaeological salvage excavations in NSW and recently directed a small excavation at Birkenhead, South Australia. Adam is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Archaeology Flinders University, South Australia. Adam s research is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant awarded to Associate Professor Mark Staniforth who is Adam s principle supervisor. Industry partners for the project include, the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage, The South Australian Maritime Museum and Archaeological and Heritage Management Solutions (AHMS) Pty Ltd. Adam s PhD research will examine archaeological heritage management with a particular emphasis on the role that community archaeology can play in providing widely accessible outcomes from archaeological work. This research, which will be ongoing until 2012, will include several excavations in Port Adelaide that will provide opportunities for community involvement. Adam Paterson at work recording waste deposits from Johnathon Leak s convict pottery in NSW (Courtesy of Archaeological and Heritage Management Solutions Pty. Ltd.) Page 4

5 AMER KHAN MAP Graduate Amer Khan diving with the Department of Environment and Heritage 2009 (Courtesy of the Department of Environment and Heritage). Amer graduated from Yale University with a double major in Biology (BA) and Computer Science (BSc) in After working in Silicon Valley for a number of years he came to Flinders University to complete a Masters in Maritime Archaeology in Amer is now working as a maritime heritage officer with the Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH) in Adelaide. His primary role is to manage the historic shipwreck resource in SA and to administer State and Commonwealth legislation for the protection of historic shipwrecks. His work includes a combination of project management, research, report writing and fieldwork. Amer was involved with a number of different projects after completing his Masters degree. After graduating from Flinders he worked as a contract field archaeologist in Western Australia, identifying and recording indigenous coastal occupation sites. He subsequently served as heritage officer with the Aboriginal Heritage Branch in Adelaide to develop and deliver a community engagement and archaeological training program. Amer was also contracted by UNESCO to help develop a regional training program in maritime archaeology. Prior to starting at DEH, he worked with the Department of Archaeology at Flinders to help coordinate a regional fellowship program funded by AusAID. Amer continues to maintain a close working relationship with staff, researchers and students in the Maritime Archaeology Program. Collaborations between DEH and MAP are being explored to promote sharing of expertise and resources, to provide work/ study opportunities for students, and to identify possibilities for joint research. Amer can be reached at amer.khan@sa.gov.au or +61-(0) Mapping our people... JESSICA BERRY MAP Graduate Jessica began her career has a journalist. From the age of five she had always wondered how Mr Reuter managed to be in so many places simultaneously and resolved to be like him. After some 15 years reporting from the Middle East, and as an investigative journalist from the UK, she realised that if she combined her two passions the sea and investigative journalism she would end up with maritime archaeology. So she took a Masters course at Flinders University and hasn't looked back. She began her new working life at the Western Australian Museum in Fremantle, as a termporary assistant curator. After completing a two-month commercial dive course in Scotland, a qualification required for working in northern Europe, she joined Wessex Archaeology as a Project Supervisor with the Coastal and Marine section on a short-term contract. The job was fascinating, and involved as many coastal and marine archaeological deskbased assessments as diving work on designated wreck sites off the UK. She is now starting work on an exciting four-year European project led by the French maritime archaeology group Adramar based in Rennes, in Brittany. Adramar, which has spearheaded the project, is working alongside English and Belgian maritime archaeology partners. The aim is to conduct fieldwork and research between the three countries, and identify new sites whilst mapping the archaeological potential, both prehistoric and maritime of the English Channel and the North Sea. Meanwhile she has had her Masters thesis published. Ada & Clara: who'd have thought it? A social history through archaeology is published by Lambert Academic Publishing and available on Amazon! Page 5

6 DEBRA SHEFI PhD candidate Debra Shefi received her Bachelors of Arts in Art History, Honors from the University of California, Berkeley in After graduating, she worked as a SCUBA dive master and dive instructor in South East Asia before heading to Flinders University for a Masters of Maritime Archaeology. After graduating with a MMA in 2006, Debra began working for the Florida Department of State, Bureau of Archaeological Research as a Senior Archaeologist. Her roles at the Bureau included: to survey, record, and manage historic and prehistoric cultural resources; work with local communities and vocational archaeological groups to develop, designate and maintain Underwater Archaeological Preserves throughout Florida; to implement and design public education and awareness programs for the State; and to act as the Dive Safety Officer for the Bureau. During her time at the State, Debra implemented the Heritage Awareness Diving Program, which teaches Course Directors and Instructor Trainers from international diving organizations how and why to implement heritage awareness into all levels of scuba diving training. She also established Florida s online Museums in the Sea ( which provides virtual tours, site plans, brochures and photographs of the Underwater Archaeological Preserves across Florida. In 2009 Debra was awarded an Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and returned to Flinders to begin her PhD candidature under the supervision of Associate Professor Mark Staniforth (May 2009 to December 2012). Her research focuses on the field of in situ conservation, with a sub focus on how the environment is related to shipwreck degradation. Debra s current interests include in situ conservation of shipwrecks, public archaeology through on-line resources, and education and outreach opportunities through the SCUBA diving community. Debra Shefi searching for pre-historic submerged cultural landscapes in the Adriatic Sea (Photo by Jonathan Benjamin, Courtesy of the University of Edinburgh). Page 6

7 EMILY JATEFF MAP Staff Emily Jateff holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology with a focus in maritime archaeology from the University of West Florida (UWF), and a Master in Maritime Archaeology (MMA) from Flinders University. Prior to starting work with Flinders University, Emily was employed for seven years at Brockington and Associates, Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina; where she worked as Laboratory Supervisor and Archaeologist. While at Brockington, Emily also trained in disaster management for archeological sites and collections and initiated an Emergency Archaeology program for the company. She is an international member of the AIC-Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT). Emily has led or participated in numerous terrestrial, underwater and intertidal archaeological projects throughout the Southeastern US, Canada and Australia. Her masters thesis detailed the search for evidence of a late 19th-early 20th century shore-based whaling station at Diamond City, North Carolina. This research was published in 2007 in the Maritime Archaeology Monograph Series as MAMS 14. She also participated in the 2005 Expedition to RMS Titanic with James Cameron and served as consultant for production of the CyArk Titanic Legacy Archive. Additional past research interests include a survey of public perspectives on the illicit recovery and sale of underwater cultural heritage (with the South Carolina Sport Diver Management Program), and investigation of intertidal sites using mixed methodologies (presented at NASOH 2008 and SEAC 2008). Since her arrival in Australia, she has acted as co-principal investigator on two projects contracted through Heritage Branch, South Australia. Results of the 2009 Survey of Sceale and Streaky Bays, Eyre Peninsula will be published as MAMS No. 21 in early One of Emily s current interests is the study of maritime foodways - or food at sea. In 2009, Emily was the recipient of the James Beard Foundation Scholarship for gastronomic studies, which she used to receive a Professional Certificate in Gastronomy from the University of Adelaide/Le Cordon Bleu. She will present on Evolutionary Foodways of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) at the 17th Symposium of Australian Gastronomy in November In Semester 1, 2010, she will offer a Master Class in Zooarchaeology and Foodways Analysis at Flinders University (open to the public). Emily is also interested in protection and management issues for submerged cultural heritage within the Antarctic region. In September of 2009, she presented a paper on this issue at the AIMA/ASHA Conference in Tasmania (publication forthcoming). She is currently collating data on known and unknown submerged cultural heritage located within the Australia Antarctic Territory (AAT) to determine best practices for submerged cultural heritage protection and management within this territory. In Semester 2, 2010, Emily is teaching in ARCH8112A Global Perspectives in Maritime Archaeology, PROF8001 Grants and Sponsorship Proposals and PROF8002 Successful Tendering, and is coordinator for the Department of Archaeology Seminar Series for Semester 2. Emily Jateff (left) and MAP students Darren Kipping (right) and Steven Lake (centre) during the Robe project in early 2009 (photo courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program) She regularly teaches in ARCH3201 Laboratory Methods, ARCH8201 Coastal and Underwater Archaeology, and has guest lectured or lead tutorials in ARCH8101/2004 Maritime Archaeology in Australia, ARCH2301 The Museum, ARCH8107 Underwater Cultural Heritage and ARCH8101 Ships, Research and Recording. Emily also teaches Disaster Preparedness and Response for Archaeological Collections and Underwater Photography Master Classes each semester. She is currently supervising MMA student Michael Bendon. Emily is a member of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA), the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA), the World Archaeological Congress (WAC), SAFE/Saving Antiquities for Everyone, serving on the Board of Governors for , is Discipline Coordinator for Archaeology for the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and on the Executive Committee for the Society for Underwater Historical Research (SUHR). Page 7

8 JAMES W HUNTER PhD candidate James commenced his postgraduate studies as a PhD student in maritime archaeology at Flinders in May 2008 and is conducting his research with the assistance of an Australian government Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. He is a former member of the archaeological team investigating the American Civil War submarine H.L. Hunley, as well as a former staff archaeologist with the U.S. Naval Historical Center s Underwater Archaeology Branch. He received his M.A. in History/Historical Archaeology from the University of West Florida in Pensacola in He has participated in the survey and excavation of a variety of shipwrecks and submerged archaeological sites from the sixteenth, eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. James doctoral research addresses torpedo boats, a largely overlooked element of the colonial naval forces that served Australia and New Zealand prior to Federation in These craft were a component of a larger military response within Australasia to fears of perceived Russian - and later French and German - expansionist designs on British territories in the South Pacific following the end of the Crimean War. His thesis, entitled Throwaway Navies: Colonial Australasian Torpedo Boat Squadrons and the Archaeology of Frontier Defence and Discard, seeks to identify cultural factors that influenced the deployment and subsequent discard of boats and other military materiel associated with torpedo boat squadrons in colonial Australasia. Material evidence collected as a result of this research will demonstrate that deployment and subsequent disposal of vessels and structures associated with colonial torpedo boat defences were indicative of frontier-style adaptations by military planners and government officials charged with creating quasiindependent naval forces with limited funding, resources, and support. In April 2009, James was awarded a Flinders University Research Budget Project Grant through the Faculty of Education, Humanities, Law and Theology. This award has enabled him to conduct field research in New Zealand, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland over the past year. He expects to complete his candidacy in May We need your help! Flinders University s Maritime Archaeology Program is seeking to purchase this magnificent Noosa Catamaran 2300 costing $100,000. With your help, the Program s access to a greater range of dive sites, and at lower cost will be significantly enhanced through this acquisition. All contributions gratefully received. Please contact Dara Boucher on (+ 61 8) or dara.boucher@flinders.edu.au Page 8

9 JUN KIMURA PhD Graduate Jun Kimura graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology from Tokai University in Japan. His undergraduate thesis analysed the site formation process of the Takashima Underwater site, which is a historic battle site where Kublai Khan s Mongolian fleet was lost in 1281.Jun has a background as a field archaeologist, working at several terrestrial sites in Japan including underwater archaeological projects like the steamship Hermann, the Kattura midden site, and the Takashima Underwater site. Jun completed the Master of Maritime Archaeology (MMA) degree at Flinders in South Australia in His Master s thesis focused on developing the idea of maritime cultural space using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to understand the site formation processes of shipwrecks in South Australian waters. In 2007 Jun was awarded an Endeavour Postgraduate Award by the Australian Government. This prestigious Award provides full financial support for his PhD research. Jun is supervised by Associate Professor Mark Staniforth and his research is to examine maritime activities and shipbuilding technology in the medieval period in East Asia including China, Korea, and Japan. This theme has been developed by some Australian researchers before such as Jeremy Green and Nick Burningham. Through his PhD research focus on bulkhead structure and construction method, he aims at contributing to the theme. His PhD research is currently funded by the Mishima Kaiun Memorial Foundation and the Toyota Foundation based in Japan. As a part of his research, he is pursuing an historical interaction of shipbuilding technology between East Asia and Southeast Asia. He is collaborating with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) in the U.S on an archaeological project in Vietnam supported by the National Geographic Foundation. Mapping our people... MATT CARTER MAP Graduate Matt grew up on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. At 16, Matt s fascination with all things aquatic was launched into a full-blown obsession when he completed his open water SCUBA training. Matt s desire to learn about the past and his passion for exploration resulted in his enrolment in 2003 in a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Otago, majoring in Archaeology. In his Third Year Matt was accepted into the Honours program and in Fourth Year undertook a dissertation investigating the management of underwater archaeological sites in New Zealand. This research earned him a First Class Honours degree in Archaeology. In 2007 Matt decided to unite his love of diving with his passion for archaeology by enrolling in a Graduate Diploma in Maritime Archaeology through Flinders. While studying for his graduate diploma Matt continued his diving qualifications becoming an Advanced, Rescue and Dive Master. In 2008 Matt applied for, and was awarded, the University of Otago Postgraduate Scholarship for Masters Research and subsequently enrolled in the Master of Arts Degree in Archaeology at the University of Otago. Matt s Master s thesis involves an investigation into the ways in which prehistoric Maori and later European populations interacted with the marine environment of the Otago Harbour; and how this interaction has shaped the seascape into what we see today in terms of altered landscapes, reduced marine flora and fauna and polluted waterways. In 2009 Matt became the first New Zealander, and the first underwater archaeologist in the Australasia region to be awarded the prestigious Our World Underwater Australasian Rolex Scholarship. Under this scholarship Matt is currently travelling around the world volunteering on maritime archaeological projects and developing his diving into the arena of technical diving. Page 9

10 JENNIFER McKINNON MAP Staff Ms. Jennifer McKinnon has been a Lecturer in the program since Before commencing as a lecturer at Flinders University, Jennifer worked as an underwater archaeologist for the State of Florida, Bureau of Archaeological Research. Prior to her position at the State, she taught courses in the Department of Archaeology at Florida State University. Jennifer teaches ARCH8104 Issues in Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, ARCH8102 Coastal and Underwater Archaeology, ARCH8301 The Museum and ARCH8103 Maritime Archaeology Field School. She also developed and teaches ARCH8108 Ships: Research, Recording and Reconstruction, ARCH8109 Practicum in Maritime Archaeology and ARCH8010 Advanced Practicum in Maritime Archaeology. Jennifer recently received a Teaching and Learning Innovation Grant to develop a new Methods in Underwater Sciences and Archaeology topic which will be available in Her interests and experience involve Spanish colonial archaeology sites, specifically Spanish mission, landings and shipwrecks. Her experience on Spanish sites began in 1997 at a sixteenth century site in St Augustine, Florida. In 2000 and 2001 she spent two field seasons excavating seventeenth century Spanish mission sites in Tallahassee, Florida. Also, in summer of 2001 she took a position with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) in St Augustine, where she continued her research on Spanish colonial sites. Her Masters thesis (2002) involved investigations of a seventeenth century Spanish landing in the St Marks River. In 2004 she surveyed 13 Spanish shipwrecks (dated to 1733) off the Florida Keys and an unknown seventeenth century Spanish shipwreck (the Mystery Wreck) off Vaca Key in Her current research involves investigations into Spanish efforts in the Pacific and more specifically Micronesia (see page 15). Jennifer s other main interest and experience involves public outreach and interpretation of submerged cultural heritage through maritime heritage trails. While working with the State of Florida she assisted with adding shipwreck sites to the Shipwrecks Preserve Program. She also was a member of the team which developed the 1733 Spanish Galleon Trail in the Florida Keys. Jennifer was recently awarded grants for the development of maritime trails in Australia s Northern Territory and Saipan (Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands). An American Battlefield Protection Program Grant from the US National Park Service was awarded to Jennifer through her Research Associate position with the U.S. based non-profit organization Ships of Exploration and Discovery Research. This research project will identify and document select submerged heritage associated with the Battle of Saipan for the creation of an underwater maritime heritage trail. The project and trail is planned to encourage local involvement in the preservation of submerged sites while providing an economically sustainable program for interpreting and preserving WWII heritage. Jennifer has conducted underwater archaeology training workshops with local government agencies and divers on the island of Saipan in an effort to create interest in the project and develop a team of volunteers who will help develop the trail. Over she will lead two field seasons mapping WWII sites for inclusion on the trail. Jennifer McKinnon recording an archaeological feature in the Northern Territory (photo courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program). Jennifer recently received grant funding from the Northern Territory Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts, and Sport and Flinders University for a research project titled, Exploring the Feasibility and Development of a Maritime Heritage Trail in Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory. This project aims to explore from a scholarly, theoretical and practical perspective the strategies and issues involved in creating a maritime heritage trail in Darwin Harbour. The results will be a framework for implementing a sustainable, balanced program which is unique to the needs of Northern Territory managers and public. Page 10

11 JOHN NAUMANN MAP Staff The Maritime Archaeology Program s technical officer, Mr. John Naumann has been with Flinders University for just over 12 months. The Archaeology Department has 2 part-time technical officers (0.6 each), and the other, specialising in terrestrial and cultural heritage management is Ms Louise Holt. Previously John has been a secondary teacher at country and city high schools teaching technology studies, computing and science. Always a keen wreck diver, and SCUBA instructor, he re-trained at Adelaide University completing a BSc(Hons) in marine biology and ecology. His research centred on a key herbivore of temperate rocky reefs the common purple sea urchin (Heliocidaris erythrogramma). At university he became one of a small team of active scientific divers who frequently assisted each other by diving both locally and around the state. As an added part of his research, he dived among Sepia apama, the giant Australian Cuttlefish aggregation at Point Lowley, near Whyalla, which was spectacular. The MAP focuses squarely on the students becoming both professionally, technically and logistically selfsufficient within a structured learning environment. This means they are encouraged and required to plan their own research, both at the theoretical and leadership level. SCUBA diving is encouraged and supported with a wide range of equipment, together with added training and supervision which is readily available and required. Wetsuits, regulators, scuba cylinders, Shark Shields, tapes, U/W metal detectors, U/W cameras, dredges, compressors, slates, compasses and torches are all available to be used by students on their research projects after they have qualified as University Divers. Lead up training dives and formalised training Master Classes are run to hone the students skills in using this specialist equipment. In particular close association has been moulded between Maritime Archaeology and Natural History Film Making, allowing our students gain an appreciation of U/W video and camera work. Having had a long association with diving around South Australia, John has developed a particular interest in its wrecks. As a recreational diver one saw a very narrow range of wrecks when diving; 19th and 20th century iron wrecks predominantly. But as part of the team at Flinders, assisting in research into indigenous craft now stored at the SA Museum s facility at Netley, colonial pastoral craft now dried and exposed on the Murrumbidgee river, boat sheds on the rocky foreshore at Second Valley, contemporary wrecks in the Port River, historic ships anchors near the reef at Port Noarlunga and the Ships Graveyard in the North Arm show the truly astonishing array of maritime heritage within our research sights. Such a wide variety of maritime tradition was little known before working here. Base Line Offset practise during an AIMA NAS Training course, John Naumann centre. (Photo courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program). Page 11

12 RHONDA STEEL MAP Graduate At the start of my university career I had no idea what I wanted to do and took whichever papers seemed most interesting at the time. This seemed to work in my favour and I eventually found two areas where I could concentrate my energies, anthropology and zoology. In 2005 I completed my BA (Hons) and BSc from the University of Otago and archaeology led me to some amazing work across New Zealand and the Pacific. Highlights included an early whaling site on the New Zealand coast and surveying enormous royal tombs in Tonga. It was also around this time that I started scuba diving. My first dive was on a shipwreck in the Otago Harbour, and I remember thinking that it was an amazing way to combine a love of history, zoology and diving. A number of google searches later and I found Flinders University in Adelaide, which offered a Graduate Diploma in Maritime Archaeology and the unique option of completing it via distance learning. After returning from overseas to complete the field portion of my course I was lucky enough to get a job in maritime archaeology, so for the past couple of years I have worked for the Maritime Heritage Unit within Heritage Victoria. Our role is to manage, conserve and protect Victoria s maritime heritage and administer the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and the Victorian Heritage Act Rhonda Steel recording on an historic shipwreck site in Victoria ((photo courtesy of Heritage Victoria). We undertake regular fieldwork including site survey, monitoring and conservation works. We also run AIMA/NAS courses and a number of community engagement initiatives. Personally I have been involved in projects ranging from new museum exhibitions to the assessment and registration of maritime infrastructure sites for the Victorian Heritage Register. This has been a fantastic opportunity to be involved in a wide variety of projects at both state and national level. There is nothing better than researching, diving and recording a historic shipwreck with your friends and colleagues. Page 12

13 Archaeological Research in the Pacific SHAWN ARNOLD MAP Masters student I recently had the privilege of travelling to Saipan (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) for two weeks as part of a team of archaeologists led by Jennifer McKinnon to investigate potential archaeological sites for the development of a WWII maritime heritage trail. The trail is being funded by a US National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program grant. McKinnon partnered with the U.S. non-profit organization Ships of Discovery to write this grant which will establish a heritage trail consisting of WWII era planes, ships, tanks and other types of submerged heritage. This project has allowed Masters of Maritime Archaeology students at Flinders the opportunity to gain valuable field experience while learning about and contributing to protecting and interpreting archaeological heritage. The team spent the first week of our trip conducting an underwater archaeology training course. Personnel from the Saipan Historic Preservation Office (HPO), Coastal Resource Management (CRM) and local dive shops attended the course. The students received lectures concerning what exactly underwater archaeology is and how it differs from treasure hunting, ship construction, site formation processes, remote sensing techniques, methods of excavation and site documentation. After the lectures we had the students practice mapping sites on land. The sites consisted of four tarps we painted to resemble shipwrecks. The students split into groups, recorded the painted features in detail and produced scaled drawings of the sites. The following day everyone mapped an actual site. Those who were SCUBA qualified donned their gear and spent the day recording a site underwater. The students who were unable to SCUBA dive recorded a ship eroding from a nearby beach. The training course ran smoothly and all the participants seemed to enjoy what they learned. Once the course finished, the team began conducting preliminary site assessments of WWII sites in Saipan s lagoons. The trail we are establishing is intended to attract a culturally diverse audience so we did not limit our investigations to only American sites. We evaluated the sites on criteria such as public accessibility, risks associated with visiting the site, the condition of the site and the significance the site holds in WWII history. Some of the Japanese sites investigated include a large freighter, a submarine chaser, four landing craft, a floatplane, a four-propeller flying boat, and multiple gun emplacements/bunkers/pillboxes. American sites include a TBM Avenger plane, a possible B-25 plane, numerous floating docks, three Sherman tanks and an amphibious tracked landing vehicle known as a LVT (A)-4. The hardest part about investigating these sites was actually leaving them in order to investigate the next site on the list. Every location we visited was beautiful. The archaeological sites all teemed with exotic tropical fish and amazing coral formations. The water was warm and crystal clear. After compiling data concerning these underwater sites, we received a guided tour of places very few people get to see. Our guide was Genevieve Cabrerra, a local historian and archaeologist, who knows every inch of Saipan s rugged terrain. She took us through hidden caves and fortified positions of Japanese infrastructure. The jungle has reclaimed most of the sites, providing protection in the form of concealment and an added sense of adventure. On our last day the team did a recreational scuba dive at a location called the Grotto. The locals say that the Grotto is one of the top 5 dive sites in the world. I have no idea how true that is, but it was the best dive I have done in the 17 years I have been a diver. The Grotto is a group of sea caverns eroded in the sheer cliffs of Saipan s eastern side. There is a group of steps that lead down to what looks like a sinkhole in the cliff where the dive begins and ends. We entered the water and swam through an erosion tube to the outside of the cliffs where we were greeted by sea turtles and tropical fish. The natural features of this location are indescribable and it was the perfect end to a fantastic trip. Page 13

14 MARK STANIFORTH MAP Staff Associate Professor Mark Staniforth has broad experience in historical archaeology, maritime archaeology and museums in a career that spans over twenty-five years. Mark is currently the Convenor of the Maritime Archaeology Program (MAP) in the Department of Archaeology at Flinders University where he teaches topics in undergraduate and postgraduate maritime archaeology. He is the author of Material Culture and Consumer Society published by Plenum Press of New York in 2003, he is the editor (with Mike Nash in 2006) of Maritime Archaeology: Australian Approaches (Plenum Press, New York) and (with Mike Hyde in 2001) of Maritime Archaeology in Australia: A Reader (Southern Archaeology. Blackwood, SA.) He has published more than 70 publications during his career in maritime archaeology. Mark was the State government maritime archaeologist for the Victoria Archaeological Survey in Victoria ( ) and curator of maritime archaeology at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney ( ). He has worked as a consultant for the Australian Commonwealth government (National Historic Shipwrecks Research Plan 1995), the Canadian federal government (advice on national shipwreck legislation), the NSW state government (Parramatta River Survey), for the Hobsons Bay Council in Victoria (pipeline watching brief) and for the Land Management Corporation (Port Adelaide Waterfront Redevelopment Project). Mark has conducted archaeological survey and excavation in all Australian states as well as overseas, both underwater and on land across a wide range of archaeological sites. Mark is a professional member of both the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists (AACA Inc) and ICOMOS. He was recently appointed to the South Australian Heritage Council for a three year term ( ). Mark has previously been the Chair of the NSW State government s Maritime Archaeology Advisory Panel (MAAP) ), the president of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA ) and the Australian Association for Maritime History (AAMH ). He has served for two terms on the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology (ACUA ) including three years as deputy Chair ( ) and three years as Chair ( ). He is on the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Maritime Archaeology and the Australian journal The Great Circle. Associate Professor Mark Staniforth with the South Australian Minister for Conservation and the Environment Jay Weatherill during a visit to the Garden Island Ships graveyard (photo by David Nutley, DEH, courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program). Page 14

15 Spanish Colonial Research in the Pacific JENNIFER McKINNON MAP Staff Jason Raupp and Antonelli Santos recording the Spanish government building on Rota (photo courtesy of the Maritime Archaeology Program). In 2009 a Flinders Research Grant was awarded to Jennifer McKinnon, Jason Raupp (Research Associate) and James Hunter (PhD student) to document and assess Spanish cultural heritage places in the Islands of Micronesia, specifically the Northern Mariana Islands. In April and July 2009 the research team visited Saipan to review archival literature, archaeological reports and conduct informant interviews in an effort to catalogue known Spanish heritage sites. A database of sites was developed in order to assess future research potential. In July 2009, McKinnon and Raupp travelled to Rota in order to assess the condition of two extant Spanish colonial buildings, the Convento and the Spanish Government House. Two days were spent documenting the Spanish Government House with the help of local Historic Preservation Officer Antonelli Santos. Additionally, plans were discussed for recording the Convento and applying for restoration funding. Currently, McKinnon is working on a National Register of Historic Places Nomination for the Convento building. The results of this research project indicate that there is a rich archaeological signature associated with the Spanish colonial period. In the coming months, the team will continue to compile data and plan to apply for additional funding for the investigation of sites of particular research interest marked the 340th anniversary of Spanish occupation of Las Marianas (The Mariana Islands) in the Pacific. The first recorded European visit to the islands was that of Ferdinand Magellan, who on 6 March 1521 named the island chain Islas de los Ladrones (Islands of the Thieves) due to a misunderstanding in trade. In 1667 Spain claimed the island group and named it Las Marianas in honour of Queen Mariana of Austria. Spain formally occupied the islands in 1668 and at that time, the lives of both the colonizing Spaniards and the Indigenous Chamorro peoples who had been living on the islands for thousands of years were drastically altered. The Marianas served as a base station for Spanish trading ships voyaging between Manilla and Acapulco. These islands were a strategic land holding and vital to the success of Spain s wealth as an empire. The Marianas remained a Spanish colony until 1898 when Guam was ceded to the United States after the Spanish- American War. For over two hundred years the Spanish interacted with the local population and constructed forts, ports, towns and missions on the Mariana Islands. The Micronesian coastline is known to have a rich and diverse Indigenous and Spanish cultural heritage. Spanish cultural heritage places in the Marianas represent some of the most culturally and archaeologically significant European and Indigenous heritage places in Micronesia. Today, these Spanish cultural heritage sites are poorly understood from an archaeological and historical perspective. Very little is known about where these cultural heritage sites were located and specifically what may be preserved in the archaeological record. No comprehensive archaeological survey of Spanish cultural heritage sites in the Northern Mariana Islands has been conducted to date. Further, it is becoming increasingly evident that there are mounting risks to Spanish cultural heritage from both natural and cultural processes such as treasurehunting, climate change and development. One example of this is the Spanish shipwrecks Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion and Santa Margarita which have been and are actively being salvaged by commercial treasurehunting companies. A few historians have researched the history of Spanish heritage over the last several years; however, the archaeology of these events and interactions has yet to be studied. In other areas of the world such as the southeast United States (Florida, Georgia), the west coast of the United States (California) and in parts of Central America (Mexico) and the Caribbean, the archaeology of Spanish cultural heritage is well-developed. The Pacific region has some distance to go in terms of catching up with current scholarship on this subject and remains wide open and ripe for long-term investigations and research. Page 15

16 Industry Partners The Maritime Archaeology Program at Flinders University is characterised by an extremely strong involvement from Industry Partners. Our colleagues working in related industries have provided advice on the development of our topics and courses, and support our research and teaching programs in a variety of ways. A very warm thank you to all of our Industry Partners! NT Heritage Office NSW Heritage Office Do you have a story to tell? Let us know what you ve been doing since you left Flinders University... Contact Geoff Sauer, International Alumni Coordinator P (+ 618) E geoffrey.sauer@flinders.edu.au CRICOS No: 00114A