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Archaeometric and Archaeometallurgical Studies on Historical Shipwrecks: Research Experiences in Argentina

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Abstract

Archaeometry could be defined as the interdisciplinary field where knowledge and analytical methods and techniques from natural and applied sciences have enhanced research carried out in archaeology. Many studies have been focused on answering questions related to dating, exploration, artefact function and use, materials sources, and manufacturing methods. In the last decades, materials considered, research topics, and scale of analysis have broadened, allowing to reach a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of social knowledge, behaviours, technologies and other aspects from ancient periods to recent times. Investigations within the field of maritime archaeology show an increasing interest in the application of archaeometric tools to a plethora of sites, including shipwrecks, harbours, dockyards, military batteries, and coastal cities. So far, noteworthy progress has been accomplished in the identification of materials and manufacturing methods, dating, provenance, in situ and laboratory conservation, exploration and survey. In Argentina, the application of archaeometric means of analysis has also gained an important place, especially since the new century. Interdisciplinary studies of wooden and metal artefacts—among other organic and inorganic remains—recovered from 17th to 20th century shipwrecks have not been left out of this trend. Based on a quantitative perspective, studies on metal artefacts show a special place in the country as well as in Latin America. This paper presents a review of the outcomes achieved on archaeometric research on shipwreck remains since the early 2000s, with an emphasis on archaeometallurgical studies, and explores ideas on how future research could be conducted in order to exploit the potential of these studies.

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Fig. 1

Courtesy of the Centre for Underwater Archeology of the Andalusian Historical Heritage Institute (CAS-IAPH)

Fig. 2

Courtesy of the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI)

Fig. 3

Courtesy of the National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI)

Fig. 4

Courtesy of the Catalan Centre for Underwater Archeology (CASC-MAC)

Fig. 5

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Notes

  1. Within the field of maritime archeology, research projects concerning shipwrecks (i.e., nautical archeology) have held a predominant place (Bass 2011:4). In this regard, it is worth mentioning that watercraft has been part of a socio-cultural and environmental interweave, an expression of a complex array of factors, both material and non-material, and therefore it might help to elucidate many aspects of past societies (Adams 2001). For a discussion on the relationship between large-scale socio-cultural factors and singular characteristics of ships or wrecks under study, see Gould (2011).

  2. News about the application of archaeometric methods and techniques for the study and conservation of underwater cultural heritage are published periodically since 2014 in a special section (Maritime Archaeology) of the Newsletter of the Society for Archaeological Sciences (SAS Bulletin).

  3. An outline on these is presented in some works previously cited in this section. Also, for more details about each specific topic, see Johnson (1996), Orser (1996), Kepecs (1997), Little (1997), Pedrotta and Gómez Romero (1998), Paynter (2000), Cochran and Beaudry (2006), among others.

  4. A special publication compiles the results of the analysis of artefacts associated with these human remains (Maier et al. 2010).

  5. Chile and Mexico are two other countries in Latin America where analyses of this kind were introduced in the last years for the study of shipwrecks.

  6. A detailed account of the investigations conducted in Argentina on metal artefacts recovered from historical shipwrecks has been published previously (Ciarlo 2015a).

  7. Ciarlo’s dissertation deals with the analysis of technological innovations and conflict of naval powers from mid-18th to early 19th centuries, with focus on the applications of metallurgy to warships. An array of metal artefacts from British, French and Spanish shipwrecks from this period was characterized, and special attention was paid to objects related to structural fastenings, sheathing, nautical equipment, and ordnance. Based on the application of different instrumental techniques and the information recovered from documentary sources and other well studied archaeological sites, changes in metallurgy and warships of the main European navies were analyzed. A discussion concerning technology transfer, the role of empirical techniques and scientific knowledge, as well as the implications that war between the mentioned states had on developments, allow for light to be shed on the dynamics of the innovation processes during this period.

  8. For instance, see Alcalá-Zamora y Queipo de Llano (1999), Corbera Millán (1999), and Rodríguez-Villasante Prieto (1999) on the case of iron destined to the navy in Spain during the 18th century.

  9. White iron has a density of 7.7 g/cm3, while gray iron presents a range of 6.95–7.35 g/cm3. In other words, a cubic metre of gray iron would weigh between 750 and 350 kg less than the same volume of white iron.

  10. A wide variety of projectiles, depending on the objectives pursued when challenging an enemy (e.g., inflict damage on the hull, rigging and sails, or its crew) could be fired from cannons. For instance, round shot were those used primarily to produce damage to the hull, aiming to sink the ship. This kind of projectile could also be heated (red hot shot) or covered with a flammable preparation (fire ball) in order to set fire to the decks or make ammunition storage area (magazine) blow up. On the other hand, grapeshot and canister shot projectiles, frequently spherical shots, provoked a far reaching spray with a broad scope of action, very effective in producing casualties in the crew (see Falconer 1780; Moore 1801; O’Scanlan 1831).

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to Horacio De Rosa, director of the Archaeometallurgy Group, for his generous contribution to the development of the research on metals recovered from shipwrecks in Argentina. Thanks also to those colleagues who have, in one way or another, helped complete this work. Last but not least, the authors are grateful to Jorge Manuel Herrera Tovar and Arturo Rey da Silva, for their valuable comments to the manuscript.

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Ciarlo, N.C., Argüeso, A. Archaeometric and Archaeometallurgical Studies on Historical Shipwrecks: Research Experiences in Argentina. J Mari Arch 14, 127–150 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9203-5

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