Ships' Graveyards: Abandoned Watercraft and the Archaeological Site Formation Process

Watercraft abandonment is a process almost as old as shipbuilding, and the discard of ships follows every aspect of maritime commerce. Hence, these vessels have the capability to reveal characteristics of technological change and diffusion, changing economic conditions, and social history. Abandoned watercraft are also imbued with archaeological signatures, rich with the evidence of the people who used and disposed of them.

In this theoretical study, Nathan Richards expands the realm of maritime archaeology beyond the traditional examination of accidental shipwreck sites to the study of vast numbers of vessels that have been intentionally abandoned in ship graveyards worldwide.

Using Australian waters as a case study, Richards examines more than 1,500 vessels disposed over a period of more than 200 years. In offering such a detailed focus on an understudied archaeological resource, he provides a model for the examination of similar sites and processes in many other locations around the world.