New Maritime Archaeological Research Agenda Published

People and the Sea RR171

People and the Sea: A Maritime Archaeological Research Agenda for England

Edited by J Ransley and F Sturt, with J Dix, J Adams and L Blue

Council for British Archaeology, Research Reports 171

Britain is a maritime nation. Thus understanding the changing record of people’s relationships with, and use of, the sea is key to interpreting the archaeological record. People and the Sea considers all aspects of our maritime heritage, from the submerged landscapes created by changes in sea-level over the last million years, to the physical development of the modern coastline, through ports, their hinterlands, and associates maritime communities. It investigates the nature of seafaring and its associated material culture as well as people’s changing perceptions and interactions with the sea. Chronological chapters, from the Palaeolithic to the twentieth century, all consider ey themes, exploring both the current state of our knowledge and priorities for future research. While the focus is on England, the themes explored are applicable to any coastal community, both in the UK and the near Continent. Written by leading academics, in consultation with numerous specialists, People and the Sea, provides an unrivalled exploration of our maritime heritage and sets a challenging agenda for future research.

Developed and edited by members of the CMA, and funded by English Heritage, this book is the first of its kind in the UK.

Written by

My work centres on ethnographies of seafaring and oceans, particularly of the Indian Ocean past and present. I study the history and material culture of south Asian seafaring - from traditional boatbuilding and watery landscapes to lascars and piracy (and the politics and ethics of maritime archaeological heritage management). I am interested in the embodied knowledges of seafaring, the materiality and temporality of oceans and the larger philosophical question of how we imagine and understand maritime space. Or, as it was recently put to me: 'you do bodies on boats, don't you?' Which is definitely true. Boats. People. Water.

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