Archaeology Magazine - November/December 1987 - 14

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Dear Archaeology:

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As an amateur underwater archaeologist, salvor, and diver for 21 years, I
must take exception to certain statein Anne
ments and implications
Giesecke's article, "Threatened Cultural
Heritage," published in the July/August
issue.
Proposed Federal shipwreck legislation is not the issue or answer in protecting and managing our nation's historic
shipwrecks. States with significant underwater cultural resources already have
antiquities laws, which, in theory, manage wreck sites. And only a small fraction of these vessels contain enough
"treasure" or valuable artifacts to interest professional salvors or warrant admiralty litigation. The "20 professional
salvors" Ms. Giesecke mentions will not
determine the future of our nation's historic wrecks. It is hundreds of "mosquito
salvors," tenacious, middle-class individuals, who love history and collect antiquities and are willing to invest their time
and a few thousand dollars to locate
salvage/excavated submerged vessels
who will determine the course of shipwreck management.
Effective management of our submerged wrecks will depend on the willingness of professional archaeologists to
build bridges of cooperation to enlightened salvors and serious wreck divers
and develop workable programs with the
private sector. Archaeologists must realize the public supports responsible private sector excavation/salvage and the
selling of antiquities. The underwater
antiquities program administered by the
South Carolina Institute of Archaeology
and Anthropology has brought about
excellent working relationships between
diver/salvors and professional archaeologists. It is a model for others to study.
Those interested in obtaining a copy of
the South Carolina law may write the
Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.
Those who seek to halt the recovery
of shipwreck antiquities should remember Prohibition.
Howard B. Tower,Jr.
Jacksonville , FL

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14

/ÍIBEŽT/F

ARCHAEOLOGY

Dear Archaeology:
I would like to thank Anne Giesecke
for not going into a tirade about the evils
of sport divers in her article "The Abandoned Shipwreck Bill: Protecting Our
Threatened Cultural Heritage" (July/
August, 1987).Some authors in the field

have not been so kind. She leaves the
impression that bill S-858 is so fair that
even divers should back it, but we still
have legitimate fears.
Although the bill is supposed to help
establish guidelines for "private sector
recovery of shipwrecks," the states are
not compelled to followthem. A few,such
as South Carolina, are very broad minded
about private sector involvement, but
some are not. In my own state the rule for
divers pertaining to any object submerged
for more than fifty years is "Hands Off."
This blanket rule includes literally tons
of material which the state has no use
for nor desire to have. The purpose, of
course, is to keep important sites from
being disturbed. If there were no alternatives, this shotgun approach would be
appropriate, but logical options do exist.
Until all states pursue laws that Eiremore
pliable, divers are going to continue to
be very uneasy about giving them full
control over wrecks.
Thank you for your fine magazine.
Lewis Simmons
Fayetteville , GA
Dear Archaeology:
Thank you for the opportunity to read
a truly remarkable magazine. While traveling through Flagstaff, Arizona, I purchased your July/ August 1987 issue.
All articles in this issue were extremely
interesting and comprehensible, even for
a person with a non-science background.
Of most interest to me personally was the
article by Anne Giesecke entitled, "The
Abandoned Shipwreck Bill." Though of
a somewhat different nature, I share her
frustrations with authorized and all-toofrequent unethical grave robbing. Destruction of Anasazi sites in the Four Corners
area has gone on now for over 100years.
What can we do to enhance legislation for
protection of antiquities and better enforcement of regulations?
Yes! I am going to subscribe.
Randy H. Isom
Salt Lake City; Utah
Dear Archaeology:
Ann Giesecke's opinion!s ) expressed in
"The Abandoned Shipwreck Bill: Protecting Our Threatened Cultural Heritage"
(July/August 1987) presented a most
timely and critical issue. It is no exaggeration to state that historic shipwreck
sites and their contents represent one of
this country's most valuable cultural resources. They contain a wealth of information regarding the particulars of this
nation's maritime past, and serve to integrate a wide range of social, technological
Archaeology Magazine - November/December 1987

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Archaeology Magazine - November/December 1987
