REITIA Surveying Underwater Archaeology

River and water courses archaeology deals with the study of material remains of the human past and activities in the rivers, i.e. bridges, settlements, dockings, ports and watercrafts. For centuries, water courses have been the most suitable communication routes for people and goods. Settlements and human activities have been located just along rivers and streams, which were considered as being defence and boundary components. The large-scale expansion of human settlements can be explained by visualising the utility of those watercourses for agricultural purposes. Just for these reasons, numerous remnants and ruins are found along river beds and banks as well. River archaeology is a branch of archaeology from which it inherited the cultural complexity and the mandatory scientific self-discipline, made more complicated by actual operating conditions. To the well-known difficulties of underwater operations, it adds the specific adverse river environment, characterized by poor visibility, strong streams, and low temperatures. Underwater works, usually in cooperation with Institutions, do entail demanding research and survey tasks, by using dedicated tools and equipments meant not only to safeguard the cultural heritage of the archaeological site, but the very health of the river too.