The discovery of ancient history in the deep sea using advanced deep submergence technology

The use of towed camera platforms in deep-water science

“…Towed camera platforms are used routinely in the investigation of deep-water biology (Machan and Fedra, 1975;Hashimoto and Hotta, 1985;Christiansen and Thiel, 1992;Hecker, 1994;Bett et al, 1995;Barker et al, 1999;Cailliet et al, 1999;Bett, 2001;Kollmann and Stachowitsch, 2001;Cranmer et al, 2003;Mortensen and Buhl-Mortensen, 2004) and geology (Hecker, 1990;Kleinrock et al, 1992;Leybourne and Vanwagoner, 1992;Barker et al, 1999;McHugh and Ryan, 2000;Masson, 2001;Wynn et al, 2002;Fornari, 2003), often for the initial assessment of the seabed character before more detailed investigations take place, such as in hydrothermal vent research or in the search for archaeological artefacts (Lonsdale, 1977a;Lonsdale, 1977b;McConachy et al, 1986;Ballard et al, 2000;Singh et al, 2000;Klinkhammer et al, 2001). …”

The Locus of Carthage: Compounding Geographical Logic

“…Linder also confirms some of this deliberate harbor strategy (1972: 163-4) Recent research, however, such as that of Ballard and McCann and others off the Skerki Bank northwest of Sicily and elsewhere, has shown that maritime trade from Phoenician and Punic sea traffic and continuing through the Roman era also used direct open deep sea trade, not merely based from island hopping harbors alone as Warmington noted (McCann et al 1994;Parker 1996;Ballard et al 2000). The Skerki Bank is a subterranean northern extension of the marine North African shelf where recent underwater surveys and archaeological research has extracted amphorae and other artifacts from fourth century CE merchant trading ships at 800 m depths.…”

Archaeological Oceanography

“…The oceanographic community, however, has perfected the technology needed to work in world ocean depths that average 4,000 m (Ballard, 2001a (Ballard, 1998;Ballard et al, 2000). …”