Publications by Dan Davis
KOINÈ ET MOBILITÉ ARTISANALE ENTRE LA MÉDITERRANÉE ET LA MER NOIRE DANS L'ANTIQUITÉ, 2018
The authors present three Roman shipwrecks, Knidos H, S, and R, recently identified in deep water... more The authors present three Roman shipwrecks, Knidos H, S, and R, recently identified in deep water off the Datça peninsula in the southeast Aegean. High-resolution imagery allows substantial analysis of their cargoes. Knidos H was carrying between 1,300 and 1,500 amphorae, mostly of Agora M 54 type, accompanied by few Cilician imitation of Coan amphorae (Dr 2-4) and others belonging to the crew: Dr 24 similis, Knidian, and Agora G 199. Knidos S, a smaller ship, was transporting a mixed cargo of wine amphorae, including Agora G 199, Cylindrical amphora type I (previously believed to be Aegean), and a new variant of olive oil amphora Dr 24. Knidos R is represented by a small assemblage of amphorae (Dr 24, Cretan, and possibly Mendean types). Kitchen and drinking vessels that belonged to the crew were found on all three shipwrecks. The amphora evidence indicates that the ships sank in th e first half of the 2nd century A.D. These discoveries illuminate Roman trade networks in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean region, particularly between Cilicia Pedias and one or more unknown Aegean emporia at the political and economic height of the em pire. The Straits of Rhodes and the waters around the Bozburun and Datça peninsulas served as a constricted maritime corridor between the southeast
The authors present three Roman shipwrecks, Knidos H, S, and R, recently identified in deep water... more The authors present three Roman shipwrecks, Knidos H, S, and R, recently identified in deep water off the Datça peninsula in the southeast Aegean. High-resolution imagery allows substantial analysis of their cargoes. Knidos H was carrying between 1,300 and 1,500 amphorae, mostly of Agora M 54 type, accompanied by few Cilician imitation of Coan amphorae (Dr 2-4) and others belonging to the crew: Dr 24 similis, Knidian, and Agora G 199. Knidos S, a smaller ship, was transporting a mixed cargo of wine amphorae, including Agora G 199, Cylindrical amphora type I (previously believed to be Aegean), and a new variant of olive oil amphora Dr 24. Knidos R is represented by a small assemblage of amphorae (Dr 24, Cretan, and possibly Mendean types). Kitchen and drinking vessels that belonged to the crew were found on all three shipwrecks. The amphora evidence indicates that the ships sank in th e first half of the 2nd century A.D. These discoveries illuminate Roman trade networks in the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean region, particularly between Cilicia Pedias and one or more unknown Aegean emporia at the political and economic height of the em pire. The Straits of Rhodes and the waters around the Bozburun and Datça peninsulas served as a constricted maritime corridor between the southeast
A shipwreck from the early 3rd century BC was discovered in the Black Sea's suboxic depths off Er... more A shipwreck from the early 3rd century BC was discovered in the Black Sea's suboxic depths off Ere˘ gli, Turkey, during the 2011 E/V Nautilus expedition. Remote investigation revealed the trawl-damaged remains of a merchant ship carrying multiple amphora types associated with Aegean and Pontic production areas. Also discovered were elements of the ship's hull that show evidence of both pegged mortise-and-tenon and laced construction. The wreck provides crucial archaeological evidence for both maritime connectivity and ship-construction methods during a period of political and economic transition.
Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here w... more Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here we present a quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further destroying historically significant sites for profit.
Continental Shelf …, 2012
Continued exploration of the coastal area of the southern Black Sea off Sinop and Eregli, Turkey ... more Continued exploration of the coastal area of the southern Black Sea off Sinop and Eregli, Turkey in 2011 expanded our current understanding of the transition zone along the oxic/anoxic interface. Push cores collected with an ROV in sediments underlying the oxic, suboxic, and anoxic waters were analyzed for geochemistry, meiofauna, and microbiology to help characterize this transition zone. During the course of side-scan sonar surveys, nine shipwrecks were located in various states of preservation, all within 100-115 m depth and ranging from the 4th century B.C. to the early 20th century. Many of these wrecks have wooden components well preserved due to the influences of anoxic waters being washed up along the shelf by internal waves. However, a number of these sites have been heavily damaged by bottom trawling along the seabed up to the shelf break, highlighting the persistent threat such activities pose to submerged archaeological sites.
To Madeleine and Kie, for the time we shall never recover v Acknowledgements I am grateful to man... more To Madeleine and Kie, for the time we shall never recover v Acknowledgements I am grateful to many people for help, both direct and indirect, in seeing this dissertation through to completion. First and foremost is Prof. Joseph Carter, my dissertation supervisor, mentor and employer for the past six years. Although I arrived at UT and the Institute of Classical Archaeology as a marine archaeologist at heart, this renowned archaeologist of ancient hinterlands taught me to look at all facets of antiquity, and not to forget the historically invisible who played such an important role in ancient civilization. I can never repay his unstinting support, nor can I express enough gratitude for the research opportunities that he has encouraged me to pursue both on land and underwater.
The 2002 Joint Expedition of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Centro Nacional de Arq... more The 2002 Joint Expedition of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática examined Phoenician maritime involvement in Portugal, combining archaeological, geological and geophysical surveys of former coastal sites-Santa Olaia, Abul and Castro Marim-where previous excavations have uncovered Phoenician remains. Significant geomorphic evolution of bay-head delta and estuarine settings masks the fact that Phoenician sites were situated at the head of marine embayments or on estuary margins, had easy access to the sea, and immediate access to at least one natural anchorage. All sites exhibited topographical criteria familiar from Phoenician trading-stations and merchant outposts in the Mediterranean.
Articles by Dan Davis
Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here w... more Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here we present a
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.
Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here w... more Bottom trawl fishing presents a severe yet largely unquantified threat to shipwreck sites. Here we present a
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.
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Publications by Dan Davis
Articles by Dan Davis
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.
quantification of damage to sites from the Aegean and Black seas through high resolution imaging of 45 shipwrecks
discovered by the E/V Nautilus expeditions, 2009–2012. These shipwrecks are part of a modern submarine
landscape that is heavily damaged by trawls, which also remove sediment and smooth out natural
features of the seabed. We quantify the severity of this threat to archaeological sites through repeat visits to
one ancient shipwreck and quantify the change to the seabed over a period of eleven months. The results illustrate
the benefits of enforced areas of restricted bottom trawling (Marine Protected Areas) to the in situ preservation
of shipwreck sites and to natural seabed features and benthic habitats. Careful marine spatial planning and
coordinated management of fishing activity can mitigate this destructive activity. In addition, we counter the
claim made by some commercial salvors who use trawl damage as an excuse to salvage artifacts from wrecks, further
destroying historically significant sites for profit.