Marine archaeology

Maritime archaeology (also known as marine archaeology) is a discipline within arcaheology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, shore-side facilities, port-related structures, cargoes, human remain and submerged landscapes. A specialty within maritime archaeology is Nautical archaeology archaeology, which studies ship construction and use.

As with archaeology as a whole, maritime archaeology can be practiced within the historical, industrial, or prehistoric periods. An associated discipline, and again one that lies within archaeology itself, is underwater archaeology, which studies the past through any submerged remains be they of maritime interest or not. An example from the prehistoric era would be the remains of submerged settlements or deposits now lying under water despite having been dry land when sea levels were lower. Many specialist sub-disciplines within the broader maritime and underwater archaeological categories have emerged in recent years.