Page 15 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

xiv Preface
participation has enormous implications for the future of the discipline. Unless we, as archaeologists, can interest and inspire the public, who usually in one way or another pays for us to do the work, we will have no grass roots support. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that the public is involved and informed. Additionally, there is an equivalent need to involve and inform governments and government departments to ensure that sites are protected. Divers should be encouraged to assist in projects, and inter- ested groups formed into associations. With guidance, such groups can be trained and encouraged to do survey work and assist in excavations. In this way the archaeologist can draw on a source of trained volunteers for exca- vation work, which by its nature is labour intensive. When the excavation is over, the volunteers can return to their normal occupations, leaving the archaeologist and staff to deal with the non-labour intensive day-to-day work. It is far better to channel divers’ energy in this direction, rather than have the same people loot sites through ignorance and lack of direction.
It is also an essential part of an archaeologist’s work to publish, and today there are numerous avenues for publication. It is important that material be published properly so that the work is recorded for others to see and utilise.
One minor point, the first edition of Maritime Archaeology, A Technical Handbook, published by Academic Press was written in British English. Unfortunately, the publishers of the second edition have insisted that this edition be written in American English, a language with subtleties, partic- ularly in punctuation, with which I am unfamiliar. As a result, the process of editing on the part of the author has been problematic. However, as author, I accept full responsibility for errors and mistakes that will have almost inevitably crept into the text and I invite readers to forward sug- gestions and corrections so that one day they may be incorporated in a third edition (heaven forbid!).
Finally, I hope this handbook will encourage people to try new tech- niques and different approaches to the subject. I think one of the most enjoyable aspects of this field is the great variety of techniques and methods that are needed in order to be a good maritime archaeologist.
Please note that all the figures are the author’s unless otherwise indi- cated in the source line in parentheses found at the end of the caption.
Jeremy Green February 2004