Denmark to Host Conference on Relationship between Offshore Industry and Archaeology

A conference on connection between offshore industry and archaeology, called “Offshore Industry and Archaeology: A Creative Relationship”, will be held in Esbjerg on 14–15th March 2013. John Shaw, CIO at Mainstream Renewable Power, will also speak at this international conference and networking event on challenges and potential contributions of renewable energy to understanding of the past.

Offshore development and construction is one of the fastest growing industries. The data generated using developing technologies is providing new insights into the early human story. Evidence is being gathered on the now submerged prehistoric landscapes of occupation and how past peoples reacted to climate change. Therefore a creative relationship exists between industry which is gathering data and managing risks in the marine zone and archaeologists working to understand evidence of the past on the seafloor and what this means for our interpretation of the past.

The two‐day conference will address three key themes:

• Industry and archaeology: case studies
The contribution of industry to archaeology will be explored with presentations from major contributors such as Petroleum Geo‐Services (PGS), who provided essential datasets, and Rotterdam Mainport Development Project, who integrated research on prehistoric landscapes in dredging and construction offshore. Innovative scientific results obtained by the Birmingham University archaeological research group based on their collaboration with industry will be demonstrated through a presentation on Doggerland and its prehistoric habitation.

• Meeting Environmental Regulation Requirements
Environmental regulations, spatial planning and the lack of consistency in cross‐border regulations will be addressed on the basis of the Nordstream pipe‐laying project through the Baltic, and similar cross‐border projects. Presentations will address the issues from the perspective of project‐development, archaeological research and cross‐border heritage management.

• Presentation of small and medium sized enterprises
This networking element of the conference will enable companies specializing in survey, offshore archaeology services, data evaluation and consultancy to present their specialisms and services to the offshore industry, to heritage management and archaeology.

The Conference is sponsored by the EU COST programme (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) through COST Action TD0902 SPLASHCOS (Submerged Prehistoric Archaeology and Landscapes of the Continental Shelf), together with other partners. It is hosted by Offshore Centre Denmark and the Maritime Archaeology Programme at the University of Southern Denmark, and will be held at the Esbjerg Campus of the University.

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Press release, February 12, 2013; Image: Maritime Archaeology Programme at the University of Southern Denmark