• Where is the required information held? This could
  be in an obscure archive anywhere in the world or
  an unexpected, even undocumented, section of an
  archive.


• How can the material be accessed? Look for pub-
  lished or unpublished guides, handbooks to the
  archive, computer or card catalogues. Above all ask
  the librarian/archivist for help.


• What skills will be required to read the original
  documents? Old handwriting, even from the nine-
  teenth century, can be hard to decipher and foreign
  languages or dialects even harder. Language also
  changes markedly over the years and many docu-
  ments, particularly official documents, were once
  written in Latin.

It is not the objective of this chapter to list all the

different sources, archives and methods of historical

research available. However, it will introduce some basic

concepts of historical research and summarize the main

types of archive that exist.

H

istorical research is a requirement of maritime

archaeology, not an optional extra. Careful re-

search, just like project planning and logistical

preparation, can save a great deal of time. Like archae-

ology, to be most effective, historical research requires

appropriate skills and experience.

The rewards of archival research can be great. At

the very least, historical records can provide interest-

ing background information about a site, which can

enhance future visits. In some circumstances, historical

records have helped to locate a specific site or vessel, or

discover the identity of a vessel that has already been

found. Any presumed ‘fact’ identified during archival

research should, where possible, be supported by con-

firmatory evidence from a wide variety of different

sources. Many different levels of research can a be

undertaken into historical sources – whether one is

seeking to identify a specific site or vessel, researching a

known location, or merely looking into the history of a

broader area.

Archival research also presents a series of challenges:

Historical Research

Contents

u Types of evidence

u Locating primary sources

u The internet

u Methods of research

Ships usually represent a massive capital outlay to states or mercantile enterprises, and consequently generate an

abundance of paperwork – building specifications; accounts relating to running, maintenance and repair; tonnage

and capacity calculations; manifests of cargo, provisions, equipment and armament; crew and passengers lists

and so on. From the 16th century, plans and construction diagrams begin to emerge... should a vessel be wrecked,

yet more documentation may be generated by enquiries into its loss, the fate or survival of those on board, insur-

ance assessment, and salvage. Such material may touch on matters far beyond the immediacy of the shipwreck.

(Martin, 1997:1)

9

Underwater Archaeology: The NAS Guide to Principles and Practice Second Edition Edited by Amanda Bowens
© 2009 Nautical Archaeological Society ISBN: 978-1-405-17592-0