Exploration and reconstruction of a medieval harbour using hydroacoustics, 3‐D shallow seismic and underwater photogrammetry: A case study from Puck, southern Baltic Sea

Abstract

Exploration of the marine environment using underwater remote-sensing methods is the most reasonable method for investigating submerged archaeological heritage sites, preserving their current condition and maintaining them for future generations. While non-invasive recognition of heritage sites is one of the main objectives of underwater archaeology, the nearshore environment of the small Polish town of Puck hides one of the biggest medieval harbours in the Baltic Sea. The following research objectives were met in this study: (a) exploration of underwater archaeological heritage harbour in Puck using high-resolution hydroacoustics, 3-D shallow seismics and underwater photogrammetry; (b) reconstruction of the submerged Puck medieval port by the combining of hydroacoustics, 3D shallow seismics, underwater photogrammetry and archival documentation; (c) estimation of the rate at which the bottom sediments containing the archaeological objects are being destroyed. The underwater archaeological site of Puck harbour was explored using multiple surveying methods, including multibeam echosounder, parametric sub-bottom profiler, underwater photogrammetry, aerial photography and comparison with archival documentation. Very highresolution bathymetry from a multibeam echosounder allowed seabed features suchas piles, stones and horizontal structural elements to be identified, along with other archaeological artefacts, boat wrecks and boat-building artefacts. The 3-D shallow seismic datasets allowed us to distinguish, for example, several outcropping structures, a previously unknown buried shipwreck, past excavation trenches, the harbour boundary and a palaeochannel of the Płutnica River. Fusing datasets from multiple sources in the geographic information system (GIS) environment allowed for a combined visualization of the heritage sites, providing a broad archaeological demonstration of the underwater structure. By comparing with archival documentation, we calculated that 43% of biogenic layers containing archaeological objects eroded over 26 years. Our results demonstrated that without any doubt, underwater remote-sensing methods are the most appropriate for exploration and investigation of underwater heritage sites while maintaining their original value.

Students’ Reactions to Virtual Geological Field Trip to Baengnyeong Island, South Korea

“…J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10, 799 3 of 13 assessed in classrooms or during real field trips, whereas affective components are rarely assessed [5,20]. According to Ashby and Isen (1999) and Isen (2008) affective components influence cognitive learning processes [21,22].…”

“…According to Ashby and Isen (1999) and Isen (2008) affective components influence cognitive learning processes [21,22]. Most other research on VR (Virtual Reality) focus on the concept, development, methods, and effectiveness as an alternative of the real field trips [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14], however, the objective of our study is the evaluation of affective components of learning processes after students' exposure to our VFT program. The evaluation framework consists of the three main categories: cognition, interest and scientific attitude developed by Kim et al (1998) [23].…”

“…VFTs can not only be applied to geosciences, but also to various fields, such as underwater archaeology, botanical gardens, architectural monuments, and so on [3][4][5].…”

“…According to Eiss and Harbeck (1969), learning consists of three interactive processes: cognitive (knowledge, understanding, and conceptualization), affective (emotions, attitudes, and feelings), and psychomotor (practical skills such as operating field instruments) processes [18,19]. Cognitive and psychomotor components are commonly assessed in class-rooms or during real field trips, whereas affective components are rarely assessed [5,20]. According to Ashby and Isen (1999) and Isen (2008) affective components influence cognitive learning processes [21,22].…”

Shallow Water Bathymetry Retrieval Using a Band-Optimization Iterative Approach: Application to New Caledonia Coral Reef Lagoons Using Sentinel-2 Data

“…In shallow coral reefs and lagoons, bathymetry plays an important role in geophysical and biological processes: living communities, substrate types and habitat zonation are frequently related to water depth [1], sedimentary facies are controlled by depth and energy regime [2,3] and coral bleaching is also depth-dependent [4]. In terms of applied coastal studies, accurate bathymetry is paramount to achieve many applications, from the assessment of coasts facing storms or changing climate conditions [5], to realistic hydrodynamic 3D modelling [6,7] or the exploration of submerged landscapes and archaeological sites [8,9].…”