Editing Maritime archaeology (section)

==Ships and shipwrecks==
{{main|Archaeology of shipwrecks}}
{{unreferenced section|find=archaeology|find2=shipwrecks|date=July 2023}}
[[File:Allveelaeva "Akula" vrakk.JPG|thumb|Wreck of [[Russian submarine Akula (1907)|Russian submarine ''Akula'']] was found in 2014 near [[Hiiumaa]], [[Estonia]].]]
The archaeology of shipwrecks  can be divided into a three-tier hierarchy, of which the first tier considers the wrecking process itself: how does a [[ship]] break up, how does a ship sink to the bottom, and how do the remains of the ship, cargo and the surrounding environment evolve over time? The second tier studies the ship as a machine, both in itself and in a military or economic system. The third tier consists of the archaeology of maritime cultures, in which nautical technology, [[naval warfare]], trade and shipboard societies are studied. Some consider this to be the most important  tier.  Ships and boats are not necessarily wrecked: some are deliberately abandoned, scuttled or beached.  Many such abandoned vessels have been extensively salvaged.

===Bronze Age===
The earliest boats discovered date from the [[Bronze Age]] and are constructed of hollowed out logs or sewn planks. Vessels have been discovered where they have been preserved in sediments underwater or in waterlogged land sites, such as the discovery of a canoe near St Botolphs.<Ref>{{cite web | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/5282874.stm | title=Bronze age canoe stops pipeline | date=24 August 2006 }}</ref> Examples of sewn-plank boats include those found at [[Ferriby Boats|North Ferriby]] and the Dover Bronze Age Boat which is now displayed at [[Dover Museum]]. These may be an evolution from boats made of sewn hides, but it is highly unlikely that hide boats could have survived.

Ships wrecked in the sea have probably not survived, although remains of cargo (particularly bronze material) have been discovered, such as those at the [[Salcombe Cannon Wreck|Salcombe B site]]. A close collection of artefacts on the sea bed may imply that artefacts were from a ship, even if there are no remains of the actual vessel.

Late Bronze Age ships, such as the [[Uluburun Shipwreck]] have been discovered in the Mediterranean, constructed of edge joined planks. This shipbuilding technology continued through the classical period. The 2023 announcement of the [[Orca Shipwreck]] is considered the earliest deep-sea shipwreck to be discovered.