Page 430 - Green - Maritime Archaeology: A Technical Handbook. 2nd ed

Chapter 17
Conclusions
This book is not only written as a guide to the practice of maritime archaeology, but also with the objective of furthering the study of the subject. When I wrote the first edition I said: “The situation which currently exists in maritime archaeology inevitably leads to the conclusion that, as a field of study, it is not well established and suffers from a lack of respectabil- ity.” This is no longer the case. Look at the important advances that have occurred in the field and you can feel confident making this statement. This book deals with the technical and technological advances that have occurred in the practice of maritime archaeology, there are a number of other works that could also be written on the theoretical developments that are arising from the discipline; for example, shipbuilding technology, trade relationships, maritime societies, maritime cultural landscapes, maritime historical studies. Possibly one of the most interesting aspects of this last area is what an important and little understood part ships have played in the great events of history. One is tempted to think of the Spanish Armada of 1588 as an example, however, you can read Braudel’s The Mediterranean to see how the Armada was a tiny wheel in the enormous historical time machine of the 16th century, and how the geography, politics, religion, and economics were interwoven with the ability to trade and fight at sea. So too, we see the Slavic Völkerwanderung of the Huns, Goths, Visigoths, Ostro- goths, and Vandals who emerged from Central Europe and seemed to wander nonchalantly across Western Europe, building boats when it seemed necessary to cross from one side of the Mediterranean to the other. We also see the kingdom of the Vandals established in North Africa which followed the movement from Central Europe, the Barbarian invasion of the Iberian
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