Research database

"There are more ships lying at the bottom of the sea than there are sailing on it" (Matvejevic, 2007). This project aims to study, develop and test innovative archaeometry technologies and methodologies to provide knowledge, high-resolution surveys, monitoring for "in situ" preservation and enhancement for the ancient shipwrecks at different depths. In particular, the ancient shipwrecks (beached wrecks, low-medium depth, high depth) from Protohistorical to Mediaeval age are the most challenging underwater archaeological evidence concerning their valorization, documentation, and accessibility. This challenge is mainly due to their position, depth, and vulnerability of the wooden hull, as well as other organic materials of the cargo. The scientific community's growing interest in surveying and monitoring submerged assets arises from the increasing demand for high-resolution products with metric and radiometric contents. Although many instrumental and methodological solutions for the documentation, monitoring, and study of the archaeological and cultural heritage, through geomatics techniques, are already available for the terrestrial environment, for the underwater context (representing more than 70% of our planet's surface), the challenge is still open. In fact, the high-resolution capability and precise positioning in these contexts are still a big challenge. It is currently possible to speed up and make more cost-effective archaeologists' work, guaranteeing at the same time safety conditions during underwater operations, thanks to the use of underwater photogrammetry and the integration of various types of cameras and sensors (such as sonar and multibeam) installed on remotely operated submarine or surface drones. This novel underwater surveying methodology also allows the documentation and mapping of higher depths and considerable extensions. The underwater heritage is currently the privilege of a few professionals: the technologies developed by the project will thus enable access, fruition, and sharing of archaeological findings and marine landscape through immersive tours and 3D models. Moreover, the project aims to develop innovative and easy-to-use solutions based on integrated instrumentation and deliver a detailed description of the operative procedures useful in underwater archaeology and scalable to other fields of application. The significant impact of the project is undeniable. It can be resumed in: 1. increased comprehensive knowledge and awareness of these archaeological assets, with subsequent "in situ" preservation and control of the underwater archaeological sites concerning shipwrecks, their cargos, and onboard equipment; 2. safety in work operations; 3. wider accessibility, i.e. bringing heritage to a large public thanks to virtual fruition tools, which can enhance and return the underwater heritage to the community.