Nordic  |  European  |  Americas  |  World  |  Authorities Worldwide

Underwater archaeology societies & workgroups

Nordic

• Swedish Underwater Archaeology Society (MAS)
• Finnish Underwater Archaeology Society, c/o Jylhä, Kunnaankuja 3 C 17, FIN-01370 Vantaa. President Kalle Virtanen, secretary Tuire Jylhä. They have over 100 members and arrange regular activities.
• Teredo Navalis, Finland, Tel +358-9-325 0075, Fax +358-9-325 0057, Email saato.piiri@co.inet.fi.
• Bothnia Navalis, Finland, email: bothnia@starsoft.fi
• Arkæologisk Udvalg, underwater archaeology section of the Danish Underwater Society.
• Marine-Arkæologisk-Gruppe (MAG), Denmark. Founded in 1976 and has investigated the Stone Age settlement at Tybrind Vig. Contact: Hans Dal.
• Norsk Forlishistorisk Forening, Norway.
• Ocean Discovery, Sweden. Association devoted to general underwater exploration, not necessarily archaeology.
• Stiftelsen Marinhistorik, box 15031, 750 15  Uppsala, Sweden. This workgroup has located several wrecks, e.g. Cedric, Nedjan and Fråck.
• Baltic Sea Foundation, Sweden. Researches the Baltic Sea, using the ship R/V Altair. Contact Bengt Grisell. Diary from the 1993 expedition.

Europe except the Nordic area

 Germany

• Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Unterwasserarchäologie e.V. (DEGUWA), Hetzeldorf 33, D-91362 Pretzfeld, Germany, tel +49-9194-5965, fax +49-9197-1684, email mail@deguwa.org  Members receive the newsletter Skyllis. The society offers the NAS training scheme, and is involved in various projects, eg Cap Ognina and General Carleton.
• Landesverbandes für Unterwasserarchäologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany 
• Bayerische Gesellschaft für Unterwasser-Archäologie, Vivaldistr. 32, D-86551 Aichach, Germany
• Verein für Unterwasserarchäologie Berlin-Brandernburg, Germany
• Forschungsgeschellschaft für Schiffsarchäologie, Passau, Germany
• SUWA, Sektion Unterwasserarchäologie der Gesellschaft für Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Württemberg und Hohenzollern e.V., Germany

 UK

• Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS), England. Members receive the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (IJNA). NAS offers courses leading to certificate.  "Ice Boats of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal" is the result of such a course. Contact: Chris Underwood, Fort Cumberland, Fort Cumberland Rd, Eastney, Portsmouth, PO4 9LD Tel/fax + 44-1705-818419, email: nas@nasportsmouth.org.uk. Link.
• Hampshire & Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology, Southampton Oceanography Centre, Empress Dock, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 3ZH, UK
• The Shipwreck Heritage Association, Shipwreck Heritage Centre, Rock-a-Nore, Hastings, East Sussex, TN34 3DW, UK
• London Maritime Archaeology Group, UK
• Halsewell Archaeological Group, UK
• Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeology Team, UK. Organised by Simon Q. Spooner and Christine Nielsen. Plenty of information and a newsletter is presented online.
• Irish Underwater Archaeological Research Team (IUART), works both in the Republic and Northern Ireland, and offers NAS courses. Can be contacted through Deidre O'Hara, Stephen Rutherford and Darina Tully.

 France

• GRAS (Groupe de Recherches Archéologiques Subaquatiues), Montgeron, France. Activities in the river area near Paris. The website describes logboat finds, logboat replicas, and contains interesting reports by Philippe Bonnin.
• GRAN (Groupe de Recherche en Archéologie Navale), Bordeaux, France. Founded by Philippe Tailliez.
• Archisub, 67 av de la Ferrière, F-44700 Orvault, Bretagne, France, email launayalain@compuserve.com
• GRHASM (Groupe de récherches historiques archéologiques scientifiques maritimes), Bretagne, France. Contact André Lorin, alorin@club-internet.fr
• GRIEME (Groupe de Recherche et d'Identification d'Epaves de Manche Est), Bretagne, France
• CERES (Centre Européen de Recherches et d'Etudes Sous-marines), Saint Vaast la Hougue, France
• SAMM (Société d'Archéologie Maritime du Morbihan), Bretagne, France
• SEAS (Société d'Etudes en Archéologie subaquatique), Oletta, Corsica, France

 Rest of Europe

• Landelijke Werkgroep Archeologie Onder Water, Holland
• Mergor in Mosam, Holland
• Swiss Discovery Group for Nautical History and Underwater Archaeology, (SDGNA), Switzerland
• SUB-REC, Lausanne, Switzerland. This group uses ROV to investigate deep wrecks. Among the finds are spectacular railway cars from 1859 on 300 m depth.
• Baltic Memorial Society, (Pamyat' Baltiki), nab. Reki, Fontanki dom 21, 191011 St Petersburg, Russia, tel +7-812-210-4575. Investigating the site of the 1790 battle, Viborg Bay .
• Österreichische Gesellschaft für Feuchtboden- und Unterwasserarchäologie (Triton), Austria
• Arqueonáutica, Portugal
• ASSONET - Archeologia Subacquea e Speleologia Subacquea, Italy. Archives partially in English, many links, projects. Newsletter "Archeologia Viva" partly on-line, with some underwater articles. 
 
• Istituto Attività Subacquee (IAS), Palermo, Italy. Email 00249aaa@mbox.it.net. Private organisation. President: Dr Giovanni Rocca. Offering courses.
   

North American Societies & institutes

• Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Texas, USA, presents several projects. 
• Institute of Maritime History, USA. Includes the Kingstown Harbour Shipwreck Project. 
• Ships of Discovery, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, non-profit institute, mainly Caribbean area
• Society for Historical Archaeology, USA
• Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Documenting the Great Lakes wrecks.
• Institute for Exploration, Mystic, CT, USA, Robert Ballard
• Southwest Underwater Archaeological Society, USA
• New Jersey Historical Divers Association, USA
• Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society (MAHS), Washington DC, USA
• National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA), Clive Cussler, USA
• Association of Underwater Explorers, USA
• West Georgia Underwater Archaeological Society, USA
• Odyssey Marine Exploration, USA. Conducts underwater investigations on a commercial basis, often deep-sea operations.
• Save Ontario Shipwrecks, Canada, good links
• Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia (UASBC), Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Comité d'histoire et d'archéologie subaquatique du Québec, Canada
    

Societies & institutes worldwide

• Promare, nonprofit association for ocean exploration & marine archaeology
• Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology, nonprofit association
• Marmara Islands Underwater Archaeological Research, Istanbul Universitesi, Teknik Bilimler Meslek Yuksek Okulu, Sualti Teknolojisi Programi, Avcilar Kampusu, 34850 Istanbul, Turkey.
• Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Subaquática nos Açores, email: arqueologia@portugalmail.pt 
• Groupe de Recherche en Archéologie Navale Martinique, Martinique, email: gran.martinique@wanadoo.fr
• Fundación Albenga, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA), projects, conferences, publications. Offers a NAS training program.
• Maritime Archaeological Association of New Zealand, Wellington, NZ
• Kyushi and Okinawa Society for Underwater Archaeology (KOSUWA), Japan. Investigating Kublai Khan's lost fleet.
• Respect our Wrecks, Project AWARE, PADI.
• Franck Goddio Society (ex. Society for Underwater Exploration). This commercial website is very nice and instructive, but perhaps not complete, not having any information about the past project San Diego. Link.
    

Authorities worldwide

• ICOMOS, International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The International Council of Monuments and Sites works under UNESCO, to co-ordinate international underwater heritage protection. 1996 Charter on Protection and Management.
• Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australia
• NOAA, USA. Dealing with marine archaeology and maritime history. Link.
• National Park Service, Submerged Cultural Resources Unit, USA
• Underwater Archaeology, Department of the Navy, USA
• Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, USA
• Connecticut Underwater Archaeology, USA
• State of Florida Underwater Archaeology Program, USA
• Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egypt.
• Marine Archaeology Centre, Goa, India. Contact: Dr KH Vora
• Heritage Victoria, Australia
• Heritage South Australia
• Worldwide contacts, listed by PADI Project AWARE
   

The lists above are far from complete. You may find more in the lists of academic departments, European authorities, protection & legislation, in Lars Bruzelius' list of societies.