Maritime Archaeology in Britain

Abstract

The Introduction to the Institute of Field Archaeologists' Code of Conduct states that: ‘Archaeology is the study of the nature and the past behaviour of Man in his environmental setting’. One of the principal environments Man has used is the maritime one, and for convenience of exposition the term ‘maritime’ is taken here to include inland waters, lakes, rivers and estuaries, as well as the seas and oceans. This usage is not only for convenience but also because there is continuity between the sea and inland waters: they are physically connected, and often the same vessels and the same men use them.