A catastrophic earthquake hit this Jamaican pirate city on June 7th, 1692. In a flash, much of the town sank into the sea.

For over 300 years, the remains of the city of Port Royal sat buried and untouched in the shallow water off Jamaica.

Because of its abrupt end, the remains of this city were captured and preserved in remarkable detail. Archaeologists at Texas A&M and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology unravel the tales its artifacts tell.

Port Royal is a good example of a shallow water site, one which is shallow enough to allow divers to access the site. In this situation, many of the tools and techniques used by archaeologists rely on a "hands-on" approach.

The scientific process of archaeology is the same whether a site happens to be on land or under water, but underwater archaeology involves unique challenges. How do you find things in murky light? How do you excavate a flooded environment?

At the Ocean Institute
Students and visitors to the Ocean Institute are introduced to basic steps in conducting the science of underwater archaeology and special techniques in dealing with the sea. Join us and learn about:

• Surveying & mapping - How artifacts are located in space
• Excavation - How artifacts are retrieved from the seafloor or sediment
• Conservation & analysis - How artifacts are preserved, analyzed and interpreted
• Publication & education - How archaeologists report their results to their peers and the public