Abstract
Maritime archaeology in South Africa is a fledgling discipline that has enjoyed official recognition for a little more than a decade. That the discipline should have received such scant attention until relatively recently may seem surprising, given the importance of maritime influences on the last five centuries of South African history and the profusion of historical shipwrecks in our coastal waters. To be understood fully, the development of South Africa’s maritime archaeology must be considered in conjunction with a variety of circumstances. This chapter will attempt to trace the birth and growth of the field, discussing the historical, economic, and political factors that account for both the development of the discipline and for its relatively late arrival. Possible future directions for the development of the discipline also will be considered.
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Gribble, J. (2002). Past, Present, and Future of Maritime Archaeology in South Africa. In: Ruppé, C.V., Barstad, J.F. (eds) International Handbook of Underwater Archaeology. The Springer Series in Underwater Archaeology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0535-8_33
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