At
the beginning of autumn 2010, I enrolled in the MA Programme for Maritime
Archaeology at the University of Southampton. Though SCUBA diving
was not a requirement for the course, fieldwork opportunities were
limited for those who were not divers. I was tentative about SCUBA
diving, but a friend recommended SUCS 1624, Southampton Solent University
Dive Club. The expertise of training prior maritime archaeologists
and marine biologists appealed to me.
Having
explained that time was a factor, the club convinced me that they
could complete my training to Sport diver before the Summer break.
In fact they beat that by two months and
I was gratefully able to complete my Ocean Diver and Sports Diver
training early in May 2011.
End
of my last qualyfying dive for Sports Diver and
an actual sunny day UK diving at Vobster Quay
in darkest Somerset with SUCS.
The skills I attained at SUCS enabled me to conduct one month of fieldwork
in Montenegro September 2011. The project was collaboration between
the University of Southampton and the Cultural Centre Museum of Bar,
Montenegro in order to explore the underwater archaeological potential
of Montenegro.
A team of eleven divers came together from all points of the globe
to conduct research in the Bay of Bigovica and some other bays of
interest. Our goal was to record artefacts and site formation processes
through systematic methods using buoys, measuring tapes, compasses,
and GPS [figure 1].
In order to accurately understand artefacts, it was critical to construct
GPS located trenches underwater. Within these trenches, a systematic
survey was conducted by recording the in situ location of the objects
and salvaging ones of significance for further study. The archaeological
investigation also provided training opportunities for myself and
local Montenegrins who were beginner divers interested in archaeology.
These opportunities may lead to a centre for maritime archaeology
in Montenegro.
All of our dives were conducted from a hard boat that was fully equipped
with a compressor and tanks. The equipment remained on board and was
washed with fresh water every evening. With each dive there was a
Dive Safety Officer, Timekeeper, and Standby Diver. Each diver was
expected to write a dive log at the completion of their assignment.
Most divers conducted two dives a day or more depending on the work
presented. The conditions were ideal with visibility usually ranging
from 10-15 metres and mild waters [figure 2]. There was one dive in
particular that required my previous training from SUCS.
A significant storm came through Bar, Montenegro and the oceans were
churned up with currents and low visibility. The day after, the sea
was calm enough to conduct a dive. We went to a coastal town and island
called Stari Ulcinj where a medieval monastery used to reside before
the island was abandoned and damaged in the 1979 earthquake. The visibility
was around 2-5 metres depending on the depth and there was a noticeable
current – for someone of my mass the current tossed me around
easily. The purpose of the dive was to conduct a preliminary sweep
of the area off of the island for any materials or structures that
may be of interest. My buddy, Miloš, and I began by circling
around the boat to head to the main portion of the island. We used
our compasses to direct us since our visibility was minimal. We reached
a depth of 11 metres and the visibility improved slightly. The seabed
was a mixture of fallen rough rocks, sand, and grass fields. Finning
between the rocks was a challenge because the current would funnel
through at a faster rate. However, we continued following our set
course to reach a large rock face cliff. I remembered from my training
that my buoyancy control along cliffs was crucial so I adjusted accordingly
while maintaining my balance against the current. Eventually the mazes
of rocks lead to an open plain where we found artefacts in a concreted
mass. In addition, we discovered a collection of organised stones
that were either the remnants of a medieval wall or a shipwreck of
construction material. We deployed a buoy to mark with a GPS on the
surface and completed the dive.
It was critical during this fieldwork to practice and maintain skilled
diving techniques. I felt that my dive training held continuity throughout
the year and my confidence improved with each dive. The focus of the
fieldwork was on the archaeology and the completion of tasks that
required immense focus and strength [figure 3]. The comprehensive
skills that I learned throughout the year at SUCS created an almost
instinctual approach to safe diving that I was able to concentrate
and succeed in Montenegro. In fact, the post excavation data analysis
made me appreciate the days that I had spent in the water. Sometimes
I wore a scuba mask in the office to help me concentrate [figure 4]!
Alicia
