Page 41 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

20 Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook, Second Edition
is the most convenient place to work from, as there is no shelter around Trial Rocks. The area is subject to cyclones in the summer (which is the best time of the year to work), so a base camp at the Monte Bello Islands is also necessary as a good cyclone shelter. Additionally, a land base enables on- site conservation, drawing, and cataloging. It is anticipated that there will be periods when it would be too rough to dive, so some alternative projects for the rough weather periods will also be required.
The next consideration is the size of the team: either a large team so that a lot of work can be achieved or a small group working very intensively. On a deep site, apart from all the logistic backup required, a large team is usually necessary because the diving times are limited by the depth. In the case of the Trial, because it is likely that it will not be possible to dive on the site for periods of several days, a small team, say no more than eight people, seems more appropriate. Another question concerns the type of work boats to be used. The area is remote, so a reasonably large vessel is required to transport the crew and equipment. Also, because the work will involve raising a cannon (to attempt to identify the site conclusively) and possibly other heavy material, a vessel with heavy lifting capacity will be needed. Finally, because the site lies in shallow water, a dinghy or small work boat is necessary to get close in to the site to act as a working plat- form for the hookah, airlift, or water dredge. The length of time that the project will take is difficult to estimate. From previous experience on the site, the working conditions are difficult and there is a high probability of experiencing conditions on the site which will make diving impossible. Because the project is not a question of a major excavation, it will only be necessary to survey the site and attempt to locate material that will help to identify the site. Working on the basis that it will require 10 working days on the site, and with a ratio of 1 day on to 1.5 days off (due to bad weather), it will require 25 days together with 3 days to set up and 3 days to close down; so in all about 4 weeks.
The next phase is the budget. This is fairly simple if one has some expe- rience. It is worth working out all the eventualities and requirements so that a maximum costing can be obtained. Usually the budget can be broken down into: travel, freight and hire, running costs, food, stores, allowances, etc. In this way, it should be possible to give a reasonably accurate forecast of the cost of the project.
V. STAFF
Staffing an archaeological project is usually not difficult. There are some obvious requirements, and it is the director’s responsibility to select the