Serçe Liman1 11th Century Byzantine Shipwreck Excavation Serçe Liman1 Home, Artifact & Image Gallery,  Shipwreck Site Plans

Site & Excavation

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	The Serçe Liman1 harbor on the southwestern coast of Turkey. (slide# GW-08) Photo: INA.		The diving barge moored just over the shipwreck. The Institute's excavation camp can be seen on the nearby shore. (slide# GW-35) Photo: INA.
	Close-up view of the deluxe accommodations for the excavation staff.  (slide# GW-76.1) Photo: INA.		In addition to living quarters and the 'galley', the excavation team also conducted preliminary conservation, artifact recording, and site plan drawing in one of the wood and cinder block buildings. (slide# GW-154) Photo: INA.
	Breakfast in the galley at the Serçe Liman1 excavation. (slide# GW-214) Photo: INA		This diving barge was the working platform from which all diving operations were conducted. (slide# GW-35.10) Photo: INA.
	On the barge, director George Bass (left) and archaeologist Donald Keith (right). (slide# GW-229) Photo: INA.		After working on the site, the divers decompressed 20 feet below the barge. (slide# GW-221) Photo: INA.
	Because of the relatively flat site, a rigid metal grid of 2 m squares was laid over the site to assist in mapping and photography. (slide# GW-257) Photo: INA.		Each 2-m-square area was subdivided into 16 smaller 50-cm-square areas for the purpose of recording where artifacts were found.  (slide# GW-593) Photo: INA.
	The metal grids also assisted divers in moving around the site and keeping off the bottom while working over the wreck.  (slide# GW-311) Photo: INA.		One of the safety features on the bottom was this clear 'telephone booth' in which divers could breath from the trapped bubble of air. (slide# GW-395) Photo: INA.
	Divers excavating the forward compartment of the ship that may have held  a merchant's possessions. (slide# GW-412) Photo: INA.		Grid square L5 showing some of the exposed wreck material on the bottom. (slide# GW-406) Photo: INA.
	Cargo material including amphoras in the ship's stern compartment. (slide# GW-430) Photo: INA.		The ship's bow compartment. An intact glass bottle is one of the items that may have belonged to a single merchant. (slide# GW-449) Photo: INA.
	As more and more of the sea bottom sediment was removed, the ship's cargo was exposed along with sections of the hull. (slide# GW-482) Photo: INA.		All of the hull timbers were carefully uncovered and mapped by the divers. (slide# GW-549) Photo: INA.
	Archaeologists raised artifacts, including this fragile hull timber,  from the bottom with wooden lifting boxes. (slide# GW-344) Photo: INA.		Once the hull timbers were brought to the surface, they underwent some preliminary conservation and recording in the field, and were then sent to the Bodrum Museum for final treatment and storage. In this image, Robin Piercy (left) packs some of the timbers for shipment to Bodrum. (slide# GW-217) Photo: INA.
	Archaeologist Joe Schwarzer works on casting some of the tools in this concreted lump. (slide# GW-2858) Photo: INA.		Once in Bodrum, all of the artifacts, including this collection of fish net weights, were meticulously cleaned, sorted, and catalogued. (slide# GW-2900) Photo: INA.