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Submerged Secrets - The Story So Far...


Burrowing lobsters have excavated flints on Bouldnor Cliff making them easier for volunteer divers to discover. © HWTMA
HR Flint tools, used by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers over 8000 years ago, have been found on the submerged landscape site of Bouldnor Cliff. The site lies 12m below the surface of the Solent, off the Isle of Wight. © HWTMA
Volunteer divers inspected and surveyed the anchor damage to the Alum Bay II wreck site © HWTMA
Visitors to the Fort Victoria Open Day had the chance to experience underwater archaeology through simulated activities. Activities included underwater excavation, recording of artefacts, diver displays and discovery of artefacts in zero visibillity. © HWTMA
Phil Harding demonstrated flint knapping to over 300 visitors to the Fort Victoria Open Day. He produced flint tools similar to those found by volunteers at Bouldnor Cliff © HWTMA
Frank Basford (from the Isle of Wight County Archaeology Unit)took people on a guided tour of the coastal archaeology of Tennyson Down, Isle of Wight. © HWTMA
Visitors to the Fort Victoria Open Day had the chance to experience underwater archaeology through simulated activities.Activities included underwater excavation, recording of artefacts, diver displays and discovery of artefacts in zero visibillity. © HWTMA
Visitors to the Fort Victoria Open Day had the chance to experience underwater archaeology through simulated activities. Activities included underwater excavation, recording of artefacts, diver displays and discovery of artefacts in zero visibillity. © HWTMA


   
   
Submerged Secrets - The Story So Far...
 Location: Isle of Wight

The underwater heritage around the Isle of Wight is one of the richest in the world. This project aims to raise awareness and appreciation of this heritage to both non divers and divers.


The project focuses on the Needles Protected Wreck Site, the Alum Bay wreck site and the 8,500 year old submerged landscape of Bouldnor Cliff, near Yarmouth. Activities centre in the Maritime Heritage Exhibition (MHE) at Fort Victoria, near Yarmouth.

A variety of events for non divers were held over the winter of 2002-2003. These included talks on the importance and diversity of the local maritime heritage, coastal walks and free entry to the MHE. Volunteers from these events helped us in winter refurbishment of the exhibition and in organising our 2003 Open Day.

Over 400 people of all ages attended with simulated underwater archaeological activities and flint knapping displays by Phil Harding (Time Team). We expect to build on this success with the 2004 Open Day.

We have also been able to begin an education programme at the MHE. Phase one of this programme has been completed and the second phase will be completed by Spring 2004. This involves a teachers booklet with work sheets and fact sheets, a computer at the MHE with images and puzzles and a CDRom for schools with video footage and animations.

Volunteer divers were also given the chance to get involved during the summer of 2003. They helped with surveys, drawings, photography, searches and sampling on the underwater sites. This gave them direct experience of maritime archaeology and provided more information to inform non divers.




 


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