Presented by Dr Matt Carter, Research Director, Major Projects Foundation.

It is no exaggeration to say that the modern world is the product of millennia of human interactions with the world’s oceans.  Since its inception in the 1960s maritime archaeology has studied the ways in which past societies utilised the oceans to explore, trade and conquer. Significantly, however, it is only in recent years that the discipline has begun to investigate the impacts that these interactions have had on the marine environment through such activities as the poisoning of ecosystems by toxic chemicals released from shipwrecks, and the dumping of unexploded munitions on the ocean floor. As we enter the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) maritime archaeology has an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to solving some of the greatest challenges facing our oceans. For this to be a success a disciplinary sea change is needed to focus the strengths of maritime archaeology towards these urgent issues before it is too late. 

An online lecture, and part of the Australian Archaeological Association’s 2021 NAW series. Find the series details here.

When: 6pm AEST, Tuesday 18 May 2021

Where: online through Zoom

To register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JqXarPi8TYueM9wh5eXjKA

For more information, contact us at nationalarchaeologyweekaus@gmail.com