Marine & Maritime Cultural Heritage

- a key resource for Scotland Mesolithic Neolithic Late Glacial Late Upper Palaeolithic

Wessex Archaeology Coastal & Marine: 7/9 North St David Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1AW
Submerged Prehistory
Pleistocene

Holocene 0m -25m -50m -75m -100m -120m Sea level

20,000 BP

15,000

10,000

Marine systems & dynamics Due to sea-level rise following the last ice age there is potential for marine archaeology especially submerged landscapes and artefacts along most of Scotland's coastline dating to at least 12,000 years ago. Submerged archaeological landscapes may be encountered during offshore development activity especially when installing equipment in the seabed and linking to infrastructure onshore. Productive Research and management of marine archaeology is necessary to fully understand and utilise this considerable resource, a valuable resource for: Tourism, Recreation National research priorities International research themes e.g. SPLASHCOS

5,000

Recorded Wreck Submerged Prehistory Potential

Source: Historic Scotland's Characterising Scotland's Marine Archaeological Resource (prepared by WA Coastal & Marine)

For effective management and sustainable development a comprehensive and detailed analysis of coastal and offshore geology, sedimentology and coastal systems is required to effectively assess the potential for encountering and impacting submerged archaeological landscapes and material.

Scotland is a maritime nation with strong historical links to the sea. There is a huge resource of shipwrecks, aircraft and other maritime archaeology around our shores which is poorly understood and increasingly at risk of loss due to natural processes and offshore activity which impacts the seabed. Clean & Safe Shipwrecks and aircraft crash sites are primarily recorded by the Government as hazards to shipping and offshore industry. Research and the enhancement of our maritime archaeological record at the seabed is an important aspect of managing our coastal and offshore resources effectively.

In Support of Sustainable Development

Research into marine & maritime archaeology drives sustainable development by: Identifying known archaeological features and sites Enabling effective and efficient management Reasonable and practicable mitigation Added-value A real contribution to marine science and national heritage
Offshore Wind Farm WA

Productive Maritime archaeology is a key resource for: Tourism, recreation (e.g. diving, museum exhibitions) National identity Wartime history National Research priorities Our maritime history is a critical factor for understanding modern cultural heritage and future management linked to climate change sea level change and processes of erosion, and biological and chemical degradation of maritime and aircraft wrecks.
Download the following reports - Scottish Marine Historic Environment Data Audit - Characterising Scotland's Marine Archaeological Resource (coming soon)

Sidescan Sonar of Campania WA

Wreck Survey WA

www.wessexarch.co.uk/scotland
Multibeam image of the Iona I WA WA at Duart Point Alison Fish Marine Geoarchaeology WA Marine Geophysics WA Marine Geophysics WA

Diving WA

Mingary The Crown Estate, by WA

Marine archaeology especially submerged prehistory has a considerable basis in a variety of marine science disciplines.

Maritime Archaeology

Healthy & Biologically Diverse Wrecks are an important resource for marine ecology. In offshore areas where the seabed mabe relatively featureless wrecks provide refuge for a wide range of species.