ScapaMap: the Scapa Flow Maritime Archaeology Project
ScapaMAP,
was a research project for the then Department of Civil and
Offshore Engineering (now the School
of Life Sciences), Heriot-Watt University to promote the
better management of the archaeological and historical heritage
resources submerged in Scapa Flow for the benefit of present
and future generations. The project was supported by Historic
Scotland and the Carnegie
Trust for the Universities of Scotland. Initial survey
work was carried out in co-operation with the Archaeological
Diving Unit, University of St Andrews.
The naval wrecks of the Scapa Flow form a unique underwater record of one of the great periods of British and German maritime history. The ships of the German High Seas Fleet, in particular, fought through the Great War, ending in Scapa Flow in internment and scuttling on 21st June 1919. Seven wrecks of major warships remain, up to 25,000 tons and over 200m in length, in an area of 8 km2 of relatively flat, muddy seabed, in 30-50m depth. In between them lie concentrations of other wreckage associated with salvage activities on the existing wrecks and the vessels which were raised and subsequently scrapped.
The remains of the High Seas Fleet represent an archaeological and historical resource of hitherto unrealised potential, having been the subject of a wide range of interests in the past from salvage to recreational diving. Recent proposals to schedule the German wrecks as historical monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 represent a further stage which will require a high level marine environmental information to maximise their value, promote future protection, and encourage access by the widest possible community.
Although
the archaeological potential and sensitivity of the remains
of the High Seas Fleet is regarded as being significant,
basic maps of the area and the individual sites are not
available. Secondly, the baseline data on which to build
effective monitoring strategies of the condition of these
sites in the future is similarly unavailable. Thirdly, no
periodic monitoring programme has been put forward which
would provide quantitative data on processes affecting the
sites.
This project aims to fill some of these gaps and it is expected to significantly enhance our current knowledge using techniques common to other marine sciences including the production of site specific Management Plans and the use of Geographical Information Systems. The project will also form a useful test case for historic shipwreck management in Scotland's waters.
Salvage operations in the 20;s, 30's and as recently as the 1970's have left only seven major wrecks in the area. These are:-
- Brummer
- Karlsruhe
- Kronprinz Wilhelm
- Koln
- Markgraf
- Dresden
- Konig
In
addition to these sites, there are several areas of debris and
depressions on the seabed created during salvage operations; the
major site being that of the gun turrets detached from the SMS
Bayern.
A group comprising of personnel from the ADU, University of St Andrews, Heriot-Watt University, University of New Hampshire, Reson, TSS and GSE Rentals was formed to perform high-resolution multibeam surveys in Scapa Flow using a state-of-the-art survey system loaned to the project by Reson, TSS and GSE rentals.
Surveys were carried out between June 12 and 16th from Stromness from the survey vessel 'Scimitar'; a 10m long catamaran. The equipment mobilised consisted of:
- SeaBat 8125 multibeam echosounder
- SeaBat 6042
- Data acquisition software
- TSS POS MV position and orientation system
- Valeport SV650 sound velocity probe
The SeaBat 8125 System utilises focused beamforming and extremely high range resolution,
the 8125 is typically employed as a high-accuracy system for profiling
and bathymetric survey operations from a surface vessel or underwater
platform.
The preliminary data presented in this document was modelled using Terramodel, an integral part of the SeaBat 6042 package prior to further processing in CARIS.
ScapaMAP was a research initiative designed to promote the better management of the archaeological and historical heritage resources submerged in Scapa Flow for the benefit of present and future generations.
Area of Scapa Flow scanned for SCAPMAP
Project Partners
The Department of Civil and Offshore Engineering (now the School of Life Sciences), Heriot-Watt University
The International Centre for Island Technology - then part of Civil & Offshore Enginnering, now part of the University's Institute of Petroleum Engineering.
The Archaeological Diving Unit, based in the University of St Andrews,
RESON - a global, multidisciplinary systems house specialising in integrated sonar systems for naval, hydrographic and offshore applications.
The Centre for Coastal and Ocean Mapping(CCOM) / Joint Hydrographic Centre (JHC), twin centres representing a joint initiative between the University of New Hampshire, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and private industry.
GSE Rentals - a leading rental company specialising in survey, geophysical and oceanographic instrumentation based in Aberdeen.
TSS(UK) - the world leader in advanced orientation and positioning systems for the marine environment, provideing highly accurate position, motion and heading information, complementing the capabilities of the SeaBat multibeam systems.
Project Supporters
Historic Scotland, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.
Staff
Dr Hamish Mair and Ian Oxley: School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
Bobby Forbes, ICIT,
Heriot-Watt University.
(Note: Bobby Forbes has since left ICIT and now
has his own company next door, Sula
Diving in Stromness, Orkney)
Martin Dean, Archaeological Diving Unit, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife.
Rich Lear, RESON Offshore Ltd., Bowtech Building, Howemoss Crescent, Kirkhill Industrial Estate, Dyce, Aberdeen.
Dr Brian
Calder , CCOM/JHC, Chase Ocean Engineering Lab, University
of New Hampshire, Durham NH, USA.