Underwater archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice [Hardcover]

Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) (Author), Amanda Bowens (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008 | ISBN-10: 1405175923 | ISBN-13: 978-1405175920 | Edition: 2nd

Underwater Archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice provides a comprehensive summary of the archaeological process as applied in an underwater context.

• Long awaited second edition of what is popularly referred to as the NAS Handbook
• Provides a practical guide to underwater archaeology: how to get involved, basic principles, essential techniques, project planning and execution, publishing and presenting
• Fully illustrated with over 100 drawings and new colour graphics
• New chapters on geophysics, historical research, photography and video, monitoring and maintenance and conservation

Editorial Reviews

Review

"All in all this attractive paperback with 20 chapters and 3 appendices should make a welcome addition not only on the bookshelves of archaeologically minded divers, but most archaeologists too, as it explains many basic archaeological concepts clearly and concisely." (South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2010)

"It is an excellent addition to the NAS training program.... I would expect the text will be picked up by most institutions and non-academic groups involved in the teaching and general practice of maritime archaeology." (SAS Bulletin, November 2009)

"There is much useful stuff here." (British Archaeology, January 2009)

"The text and graphics have been updated, resulting in this long-awaited second edition of what is popularly known as 'The NAS (Nautical Archaeology Society) Handbook'. The second edition includes several new chapters covering topics such as photography, legislation and conservation. Additional chapters reflect significant developments or new approaches, particularly with respect to project planning, safety on archaeological sites, historic research, monitoring and maintenance and geophysics. Each individual component of this book was written by an expert in his/her field." (Ocean News & Technology, November 2008)

"This book will enable readers to make the most of their involvement with the rich underwater heritage that helped shape the world in which we live, and do so in a responsible way." (Institute of Nautical Archaeology Quarterly, Summer 2008)

Review

"An essential vade mecum for anyone interested in archaeology under water, whether aspiring fieldworker or armchair enthusiast. This book distills a generation of practical experience in a concise and user-friendly form."
–Colin Martin

"This long-awaited update of the NAS handbook is a gold mine of practical advice. It is a must-have, must-read and must-reread for everyone practising nautical archaeology"
–George Lambrick, Chair Nautical Archaeology Society

"Indispensable for anyone in underwater archaeology. Even the most experienced will find much of value in it. How I wish it had been available when I began half a century ago!"
–George Bass, Texas A&M University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; 2nd edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405175923
• ISBN-13: 978-1405175920
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,227,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best intro to underwater archaeology available, August 3, 2009

By 

Doctor John (Miami) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Underwater Archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice (Paperback)

...also the only one for undergraduate course use (in English).

The very long-awaited successor to the 1992 edition edited by Martin Dean et al., this Second Ed. has fewer pages but is in a larger format, so I estimate it's about the same word count. As one might expect, the new "NAS Handbook" updates the technological advances of the past decade and a half (remote sensing surveys, use of GPS, GIS-based mapping) while leaving the underlying principles of archaeology pretty much unchanged. It also contains new material on conservation of underwater cultural resources, and a brief review of different nation-states' legislative frameworks for protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, commonly known as Submerged (or Marine) Cultural Resource Management in the USA. This edition has some great color plates as a new feature, but only a few of Ben Ferrari's wonderful b&w line drawings (highly informative cartoons, almost) that were a unique aspect of the original edition. The "References and Further Reading" are as recent as 2007. Finally, there are appendices on how to properly record anchors and ordnance, the two most common artifact types that divers are likely to encounter, and a summary of the NAS training program (not very well known in the USA, unfortunately).

Next year I'm going to use it as an undergrad textbook, not because it's the only one available, but also a reputable successor to the first edition.