Survey Location: near Butrint, Albania
Dates: August 15-25, 2008

Principle Investigator
Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld
Assistant Professor of Classical Studies, Trinity University

In Collaboration With
RPM Nautical Foundation
Albanian Institute of Archaeology (AIA)

Expedition blog: http://underwateralbania.blogspot.com

Expedition Background
Sometime early in the third century BCE, a ship carrying a cargo of amphoras wrecked on a promontory just south of the bay of Butrint.  These ancient ceramic vases will break upon impact, but do not disintegrate once they have come to rest on the sea floor. This durability has left them as the sole witnesses to many ancient shipwrecks, and the stories they have to tell have transformed our understanding of history.

During an underwater survey in July of 2007, conducted by the RPM Nautical Foundation, researchers discovered a grouping of these amphoras resting on the seabed. About forty of them remain visible above the accumulating sand and are waiting to be studied more closely.

Expedition Summary
The Waitt Institute for Discovery and RPM Nautical Foundation teamed up for this reconnaissance mission and have invited Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld to lead the research team. The goal of this 10-day expedition was to evaluate the potential of this shipwreck for archaeological excavation. The research team dived the wreck site in order to examine the seabed topography, to identify the area of scatter, and to confirm or revise the initial report of the types, quantity, and preservation of the finds.

The accomplished recon will provide insight for planning an excavation project for the site, including a determination of the equipment, funds, and personnel that will be needed to excavate, record, and conserve the finds properly.  At the same time, Dr. Hirschfeld acted as an ambassador for the proposed project to various Albanian officials, educators, and students, with the hope of exciting interest in a collaborative enterprise and to learn of available facilities and expertise.

The Waitt Institute’s long-term goal of this project is to participate as a catalyst in the development of a sustainable program of cultural resource management of the maritime heritage of Albania, conducted by and for the Albanians. A secondary goal is to broaden the American student perspective of the people and history of the Balkans.

From the Expedition Leader — Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld
When I was in high school, one of the reasons I decided to become an archaeologist was that I wanted to travel and explore the world, especially the parts of it that are very different from the places I know.  My career so far has offered me more than I ever would have imagined: years of living in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus, participating in excavations throughout the Aegean, the Levant and Egypt, and exploring museum storerooms all over Europe.  And now, just when I have gotten comfortable in those orbits, chance has opened the door to Albania.  Once again, a new and strange and exotic land lies ahead.  Last night I learned that the official currency of Albania is the lek, which is subdivided into 100 quindarka.  What could be more unfamiliar?  I feel like Dorothy about to step into Oz.  I expect to encounter every bit as much of magic, different ways of doing things, and new-yet-familiar friends.

Expedition Team Members

Dr. Nicolle Hirschfeld, Principle Investigator
Nautical Archaeologist/Trinity University

Joe Lepore, Dive Safety Officer/Director of Dive Operations
Dive Safety Officer/Waitt Institute for Discovery

Derek Smith, Scientific Diver and Hyperbaric Chamber Technician
Marine Safety Officer and PhD Candidate in Zoology/University of Hawaii

Liz Smith, Diver/Videographer
Multimedia Producer/Waitt Institute for Discovery