I am Scottish and live on the east coast of Scotland where my ancestors have lived for almost 300 years. I have been involved in projects with Odyssey for four years and I specialize in deep-ocean archaeology. First of all, I would like to tell you what marine archaeology is and what an archaeologist's job entails.

Archaeology is concerned with the identification and interpretation of physical traces left by past ways of life. The process of archaeological investigation is similar to the detective work of police and forensic scientists. Archaeologists have an insatiable human curiosity and an all-consuming drive to know what really happened in the past. There is no definitive answer to any archaeological question. The challenge nonetheless is to strive for solutions. To many people, archaeologists are tweed-jacketed, leather-elbow-patched, sandal-wearing, pipe-smoking, crusty academics. To others they are like Indiana Jones. I like to think I am more like the latter! Please also take note that women love archaeologists because as the women grow older, archaeologists become more interested in them! (Old archaeologists' joke.) Marine archaeologists have to balance intuition and common sense with the systematic rigor such work demands, a rare breed.

You have probably read on this web site about the technology, the diverse range of artifacts that have been recovered and, of course, the gold and silver coins. So you may ask, why bother with the archaeology and artifacts? Why not just collect and recover the coins?

Learning about our maritime past is learning about our culture, traditions and history as a seafaring nation. Shipwrecks tell us about the state of technology of a civilization, the lifestyle of the people, trade, transport, war and politics. A shipwreck is a concentration of clues left for us by life in the past. These clues exist in, and have been modified by, their surroundings or environment. As we study the clues we find ourselves asking "can we make sense of it all?" The answer is yes -if we are systematic, disciplined and can extract the information from other scientists, archaeologists, historians and researchers.

By keeping our maritime cultures and traditions alive and by maintaining and adding to the historical and documentary records, we will be able to maintain our maritime past for future generations.

So what about my work out here? First of all, it is fun. I am working with an amazing group of people from all over the world. We use all sorts of state-of-the-art technology. I usually work a 12-hour shift. This involves observing the ROV on the shipwreck and advising the ROV pilots on what and how to excavate and recover artifacts. It is during this time that I make my archaeological observations. Every minute of the excavation is recorded to video DVDs, so the whole expedition can be studied by archaeologists or others in the future. The precise x, y, and z position of every artifact retrieved is recorded by our proprietary data-logger system.

When we recover a four-plex (a large metal basket, with 16 divisions which hold baskets and buckets that contain artifacts), I and my team have to process them all. This involves removing the baskets and buckets and taking them to a wash area. Here I have all the fun. Some of the bottles have popped or badly degraded corks. This is where "I can smell the history." After a few hours I can't smell anything - and usually nobody will come near me! The bottles are then passed to the other archaeologist and an assistant who give each artifact a unique identity number and then pack and store them in sealed buckets. The same process happens to all the artifacts, but where required, artifacts will be given "first aid." This is a process that involves assessing the condition and storing the artifact in a suitable container with either sea water, fresh water or a chemical treatment which will slow down the degradation of the artifact. On average, a four-plex takes 12-16 hours to empty and process. However it does not end there; detailed descriptions and measurements are recorded for each artifact and, where required, photographs are taken of each different type. This takes another 20-24 hours Further study and plans for research are also carried out, and the process begins again. What is really special to me is that you never know what you are going to discover about an artifact and also knowing that I am the first person to handle these artifacts since they were lost.

When the ship comes into port, the artifacts are handed over to the conservation department. I pack all the artifacts for travel and provide an inventory. I then sign over the responsibility of the artifacts to the conservator. The conservators are scientists who take the artifacts and conduct treatments on them to stabilize and stop the processes of rusting and degradation whilst maintaining their shape and form. Like the archaeologist, they record everything they do to each artifact. I like to say that each artifact has its "medical record." Once conservation has been completed and the artifact is stable, it is then ready for long-term storage and museum display. In some cases the process of conservation can take many months.

Other than this, it is the usual "life at sea" routine. We work long hours (12-hour shifts and sometimes more) seven days a week. To help pass the hours not working, we have extras such as satellite TV, a gym, a library and cupboards full of food. I share a two-man cabin on the main deck level. It has bunk beds, wardrobes and en-suite shower and toilet. A desk, day bed and porthole finish off the nautical scene. I usually spend 2-3 months onboard, but the time passes quickly out here doing what I love to do. Every day is different.

More later………

Neil Cunningham Dobson
The People's Arch