Wrecks on the Seabed R2: Assessing Evaluating and Recording (Liberator)
Wessex Archaeology, 2012. https://doi.org/10.5284/1017437. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Wessex Archaeology unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 1152
- ALSF Project Number: 3877
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1017437
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
The project comprised the development and testing of a number of methodologies for the rapid assessment, evaluation and recording of wreck sites. The main aim of the project was to provide industry, regulators and contractors with a framework for the incremental, decision-oriented investigation of wreck sites and with guidance on their archaeological assessment, evaluation and recording. The objectives were:
- Develop and refine methodologies for assessing, evaluating and recording sites in deeper water.
- Assess the effectiveness of undertaking archaeological recording using remote operated vehicle (ROV) and geophysical techniques only.
- Assess environmental issues (e.g. depth, distance from port, fetch) in respect of working on sites in deeper water.
- Assess infrastructure issues (e.g. anchoring, tow cable handling, umbilical handling) in respect of working on sites in deeper water.
Year two of Round two of the Wrecks on the Seabed project comprised deep water ROV survey of three wrecks. This dataset relates to the first of these wrecks, an unknown B-24 Liberator bomber, and comprises databases relating to the Wessex Archaeology DIVA dive recording system, GIS shapefiles for the dive tracklogs of the ROV and video stills from the survey.
Wessex Archaeology carried out multibeam sonar, magnetometer and sidescan sonar surveys on the site in 2005. More information on this can be found in the Wrecks on the Seabed archive. The geophysical survey data is archived through the MEDIN Data Archive Centres (British Geological Survey and United Kingdom Hydrographic Office).
British Geological Survey archive ref: BGS_CMD_REF653
B-24 Liberator bomber
After the geophysical survey of wreck WA1001 it was targeted for the use of the ROV. Originally thought to be the remains of a wooden shipwreck, the site turned out to be the wreck of a Second World War B-24 bomber.
The ROV survey of Wreck WA1001 showed that the site had not been correctly identified from the geophysical surveys. The wreck of the B24 bomber was too broken up with not sufficient structure for it to be positively identified as any sort of aircraft. In retrospect this site differed from other wooden wrecks seen by Wessex Archaeology in that there was no evidence of isolated planks lying around the wreck site.
Other Archives from Wrecks on the Seabed Round 2
Wrecks on the Seabed R2: Assessing Evaluating and Recording (U86)
Wrecks on the Seabed R2: Assessing Evaluating and Recording (Unknown)
