Hello everyone,
It's time to say goodbye to Sweden. I've been here for almost two months, which means that tomorrow morning I am off to Egypt! I completely understand why one of the Knafel Traveling Fellowship's rules is that the fellow must move at least every 2 months. After spending July and August here, I'm feeling really comfortable in Stockholm. I have befriended some of my hall-mates. I've gotten the hang of cooking for myself. I know the public transportation system really well. It makes sense that now I should move on. The idea for this year is for me to push my comfort zone and challenge myself. Which means I need to start fresh six times. Also, I have learned a whole lot about underwater heritage in Sweden, and I think it is time to explore the underwater heritage of another country.
I am both excited and nervous to travel to Egypt. The scuba diving looks amazing, and I cannot wait to dive in Alexandria. I also plan on exploring some wreck dives in the Red Sea, as they are also an integral part of the country's underwater heritage. I've been interested in ancient Egypt since sixth grade, and I've wanted to travel to Egypt for years. Because of this, I am beyond excited for the next two months. However, I can't help but feel nervous as I scribble down the directions to the airport, my flight information, my housing details, and the exchange rate of US Dollar to Egyptian Pound. I did not really experience any culture shock here in Sweden. I have a feeling it will be a little more difficult to adjust in Egypt. I also know that the next few days will be a hassle, with me lugging my bags to the airport, flying to Cairo, and then finally taking the train from Cairo to Alexandria and settling into my new housing. It doesn't help that it is 1:30am and I have to get up early tomorrow morning. But no matter the stress of moving from one location to a completely new one, the excitement definitely outweighs the nerves. I mean, I'm going to Egypt. And I just spent two months in Sweden. How cool is that?
I still am amazed at how wonderful my contacts were in Sweden. People were so friendly and helpful, and I learned much more than I expected. I hope that I find the next five countries as enriching as Sweden in my year-long exploration of underwater heritage.
Before I finally go to bed, I should note: Some people have told me they are having issues posting comments on my blog. I recently checked the settings, and now it's available for open commenting. So comment away! Also, I believe I'll have limited internet access in Egypt. I will do my best to keep updating this blog and to check my email accounts and Facebook. But I might not respond to people as promptly as usual, and I might get behind on my blog. Which happened here, too, even when I had perfect internet access. But I caught up, and that's the important part.
Goodbye Sweden, hello Egypt, and good night to you all.
~Kristine
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Maritime Initiatives
Hello everyone,
Today, on my last day in Stockholm, I met with Pernilla Flyg, a curator for the Maritime Museum. She is in charge of many initiatives to share Sweden's maritime heritage with the public. Most of these initiatives are done through the Shipwer Project, a program which I discussed in my Birka blog post. While I had a lot of packing and cleaning to do today, I was excited to finally meet with Pernilla. We had been re-scheduling for over a week, so I'm very happy we were able to meet before I leave. During the interview I learned about the various Shipwer sub-projects that have been done and are being planned. For many of these projects, Pernilla works with the local authorities and interested entrepreneurs. So while she works for a national program, these initiatives are often supported locally.
Pernilla showed me the shipwreck diagrams of Axmar wrecks, like the ones Bosse gave me. (I put a picture of one in the Axmar post). She explained that these will not only be useful to divers at Axmar, but would be great resources for non-divers, also. For example, a potential idea is for people visiting Axmar to take boats out to the wreck sites, and to read about the wrecks while floating over them. While this is not the same as being in the water with them, it would still be more of an impact than if they read the diagrams online back home. Axmar has a beautiful harbor, so non-diving visitors would probably like a wreck-related boat tour around the various islands.
She also said that they've considered ice skating tours, although none are currently being implemented. Some winters the ice is rather clear, and long-distance ice skating is quite popular in Sweden. So people could ice skate to wreck sites, and maybe even see the wrecks beneath the ice. There are many ways for non-divers to appreciate the wrecks at Axmar and throughout Sweden. Eventually, they would like some of these diagram-maps to be interactive online rather than just print-outs.
The big project on which Pernilla is currently working is a Diving for Non-Divers Boat Tour. This October they are doing three trial tours: one with museum staff and politicians, one open to the public, and one for the press and tourist businesses. The tours will go to two wrecks, where people can experience the wrecks through watching a live sideo from a Remote Operated Vehicle--ROV. Inside the tour boat will be a big screen, so non-divers can see the wrecks without going underwater.
On the way to the first wreck, between the two wrecks, and on the way back, the screen will show short pre-recorded underwater films of some the wrecks above which they are passing. Pernilla showed me one of these videos, for the wreck Anna Maria. The video tour will let people see what the wreck looks like underwater. On the left side of the screen is a map of the wreck, with a red dot which marks where the camera is in relation to the rest of the wreck. As the camera moves along the wreck, the red dot reflects the change in location. As people watch these videos, Pernilla will explain the history of the ships and how they were wrecked. Because of these films, the tours will encompass much more than just the two wrecks where they use the ROV. People will learn about some of the many local wrecks. They can also enjoy the scenery of the area.
Once at one of the main two wrecks, the boat will stop and they will put the ROV into the water. Pernilla will operate the ROV and guide it through the wreck. As she does this, she will be talking to the people on board, explaining what they are seeing.
While Pernilla is planning and running these three test-tours though the Maritime Museum, she also has been working with an entrepreneur who is interested in making these ROV-wreck-tours into a company. This woman owns a business called Sweden by Nature, where she runs high-end nature walking tours in Sweden. She has been working with Pernilla on the feasibility of making Diving for Non-Divers part of her company. She has been funded by her local municipality for three month's pay to work on this project. However, starting next year she will need to start-up the project on her own.
After each tour this October, the guests will fill out surveys. One of the questions will be about how much people are willing to pay for such an experience. However, as Pernilla pointed out, they cannot just put dollar-amounts on the survey, as people will always choose the cheapest option. Rather, they will ask people to compare it to other tourist excursions in Stockholm. For example, would this Diving for Non-Divers Tour be of equal worth as a balloon tour over Stockholm? Pernilla and this entrepreneur plan to use these surveys from the test-phase to budget out making this a real tour. They need to get quotes on how much it would cost to buy the boats, the ROVs, and the ROV pilot training. ROVs are extremely expensive, so Pernilla is helping her find funding.
I think this Diving for Non-Divers sounds like a very good program to start. Hopefully their test phase in October goes well. Such a tour would allow many more people access to shipwrecks. Being on the water and seeing a live video of the wreck is an innovative experience, and I think it would interest people who otherwise only would see the wrecks in photographs.
Another initiative Pernilla has developed is bringing the Maritime Museum to other parts of Sweden than Stockholm. One example of this is the excavation at Birka, of course. She also told me about their program in a town in northern Sweden, Luleå. A few years ago they went up to this town and taught the local schools and local community about their nearby shipwrecks. The town appreciated learning about their underwater heritage from experts in the field.
Pernilla showed me a recent project, which is a 360-degree picture of a shipwreck. The image does not distort as you move it. This technology was recently developed by a Swedish company, and the Maritime Museum is interested in using it to make 360-degree tours of some shipwrecks. If you use an iPad or iPhone, you can move the screen all the way around you. Pernilla said this is a nice way for non-divers to experience a more interactive version of a shipwreck than a mere picture.
I mentioned this briefly in my Birka post, but the Swedish National Heritage Board has an online archive of all archaeological sites in Sweden. This includes over 6,000 shipwrecks. However, Pernilla said the interface can be cumbersome, and it is difficult to sift through the information to find the interesting story behind a wreck. Because of this, a forum called Platsr was recently created. This is much more user-friendly, and it also engages the public by allowing people to edit information on shipwrecks. People can learn the interesting facts about a wreck, and if other people do further research, they can add it here. Pernilla said that the fun facts are featured here. Platsr links back to the Swedish National Heritage Board's archives if anyone wants more information. People can also find information online on how to report a shipwreck if discovered.
The Maritime Museum sometimes runs Historical Diving programs for scuba divers, in which trained guides teach divers about the history of the wrecks. They have special slates with an archaeological map of the wreck printed on it. Pernilla said that working with the diving community is very important, because then the Maritime Museum has the opportunity to teach divers the safe way to navigate around wrecks. If the divers are made aware of the significance of the shipwrecks and are taught to respect this maritime heritage, there will be less looting.
Pernilla also explained that the Maritime Museum is always interested in having diving entrepreneurs and guides use this information they are making available. With all of these archives and maps and pictures, people can learn a lot about a shipwreck before diving it. They hope that people who take divers to the sites will take advantage of this available information and share it with divers.
The Maritime Museum is in charge of all maritime heritage in Sweden, and Pernilla and two colleagues are the only people with the job of bringing that heritage to the public. Pernilla is also in charge of the dive parks. So one plan they have for next year is to engage some of their many supporters in Sweden. The Maritime Museum has a few thousand official supporters all throughout Sweden. Not everyone has access to the Maritime Museum itself, but Pernilla wants people to have access to the maritime heritage. So Pernilla wants to take a shipping crate, paint it the red color of the Maritime Museum logo, and fill it with exhibits, signs and information. Then, they can ship it to different locations throughout Sweden. She mostly wants it to go to some of the country's smaller maritime museums. She said there are around 35 maritime museums in Sweden. Another good location would be at vintage boat fairs. At such locations, supporters of the museum could un-pack the shipping crate and display that part of the Maritime Museum to the public. With such a project, Pernilla and her colleagues would not have to tour with the crate, but the information would still reach a large population.
When I brought up the fact that it must be difficult for the Vasa Museum not to be near the Maritime Museum, Pernilla told me that they are implementing some projects closer to the Vasa. For example, behind the Vasa Museum is the old marine harbor, which was active from the 17th century to the mid-20th century. She has developed a mobile app where people can take a tour of this area. There are still interesting buildings and sites in the area. Now, people visiting the Vasa can download the app and walk around the grounds, learning more about the maritime history of the harbor. There are also signs around this area with maritime heritage information.
Pernilla has been working with the Diving Historical Society, which houses a submarine training house in the area near the Vasa Museum. They have dive equipment dating back to the 17th-century, when the Vasa's cannons were salvaged. Pernilla is collaborating with this diving community to try to have them keep the building open more often. Right now, they are open to the public about five weekends a year.
She also is working with the Vintage Boat Society, which has an impressive collection of old boats. The society keeps the boathouse open every day for the three months of the summer. Often the entrance is manned by two little old ladies, according to Pernilla.
By working with these two societies, the Maritime Museum is encouraging locals who have an interest in maritime history to share their resources with the public.
As we finished the interview, Pernilla offered to bring me to the National Historical Museum, which is around the corner from her office. We went into the museum (She sneaked me in through the cafe so I didn't need a ticket), and she pointed out some interesting pieces in the exhibit. I really enjoyed the personal tour.
I was astonished by how many initiatives Pernilla has created and maintained. It is a true testament to how much Sweden values its maritime heritage. The interview was a nice way to end my time here in Sweden. I think the people working with maritime heritage in this country have been very ingenious in creating ways to share the underwater heritage with the public. From coming up with inventive projects to garner interest in maritime history to keeping people updated on current research, Sweden has many projects which promote underwater heritage to both divers and non-divers. By making information readily available to the public, they also consider the best ways to protect these shipwrecks. It has been an amazing experience to speak with people so dedicated to underwater heritage here in Sweden.
Today, on my last day in Stockholm, I met with Pernilla Flyg, a curator for the Maritime Museum. She is in charge of many initiatives to share Sweden's maritime heritage with the public. Most of these initiatives are done through the Shipwer Project, a program which I discussed in my Birka blog post. While I had a lot of packing and cleaning to do today, I was excited to finally meet with Pernilla. We had been re-scheduling for over a week, so I'm very happy we were able to meet before I leave. During the interview I learned about the various Shipwer sub-projects that have been done and are being planned. For many of these projects, Pernilla works with the local authorities and interested entrepreneurs. So while she works for a national program, these initiatives are often supported locally.
Diving for Non-Divers: At Axmar
Pernilla showed me the shipwreck diagrams of Axmar wrecks, like the ones Bosse gave me. (I put a picture of one in the Axmar post). She explained that these will not only be useful to divers at Axmar, but would be great resources for non-divers, also. For example, a potential idea is for people visiting Axmar to take boats out to the wreck sites, and to read about the wrecks while floating over them. While this is not the same as being in the water with them, it would still be more of an impact than if they read the diagrams online back home. Axmar has a beautiful harbor, so non-diving visitors would probably like a wreck-related boat tour around the various islands.
She also said that they've considered ice skating tours, although none are currently being implemented. Some winters the ice is rather clear, and long-distance ice skating is quite popular in Sweden. So people could ice skate to wreck sites, and maybe even see the wrecks beneath the ice. There are many ways for non-divers to appreciate the wrecks at Axmar and throughout Sweden. Eventually, they would like some of these diagram-maps to be interactive online rather than just print-outs.
Diving for Non-Divers: Boat Tours
The big project on which Pernilla is currently working is a Diving for Non-Divers Boat Tour. This October they are doing three trial tours: one with museum staff and politicians, one open to the public, and one for the press and tourist businesses. The tours will go to two wrecks, where people can experience the wrecks through watching a live sideo from a Remote Operated Vehicle--ROV. Inside the tour boat will be a big screen, so non-divers can see the wrecks without going underwater.
On the way to the first wreck, between the two wrecks, and on the way back, the screen will show short pre-recorded underwater films of some the wrecks above which they are passing. Pernilla showed me one of these videos, for the wreck Anna Maria. The video tour will let people see what the wreck looks like underwater. On the left side of the screen is a map of the wreck, with a red dot which marks where the camera is in relation to the rest of the wreck. As the camera moves along the wreck, the red dot reflects the change in location. As people watch these videos, Pernilla will explain the history of the ships and how they were wrecked. Because of these films, the tours will encompass much more than just the two wrecks where they use the ROV. People will learn about some of the many local wrecks. They can also enjoy the scenery of the area.
Once at one of the main two wrecks, the boat will stop and they will put the ROV into the water. Pernilla will operate the ROV and guide it through the wreck. As she does this, she will be talking to the people on board, explaining what they are seeing.
While Pernilla is planning and running these three test-tours though the Maritime Museum, she also has been working with an entrepreneur who is interested in making these ROV-wreck-tours into a company. This woman owns a business called Sweden by Nature, where she runs high-end nature walking tours in Sweden. She has been working with Pernilla on the feasibility of making Diving for Non-Divers part of her company. She has been funded by her local municipality for three month's pay to work on this project. However, starting next year she will need to start-up the project on her own.
After each tour this October, the guests will fill out surveys. One of the questions will be about how much people are willing to pay for such an experience. However, as Pernilla pointed out, they cannot just put dollar-amounts on the survey, as people will always choose the cheapest option. Rather, they will ask people to compare it to other tourist excursions in Stockholm. For example, would this Diving for Non-Divers Tour be of equal worth as a balloon tour over Stockholm? Pernilla and this entrepreneur plan to use these surveys from the test-phase to budget out making this a real tour. They need to get quotes on how much it would cost to buy the boats, the ROVs, and the ROV pilot training. ROVs are extremely expensive, so Pernilla is helping her find funding.
I think this Diving for Non-Divers sounds like a very good program to start. Hopefully their test phase in October goes well. Such a tour would allow many more people access to shipwrecks. Being on the water and seeing a live video of the wreck is an innovative experience, and I think it would interest people who otherwise only would see the wrecks in photographs.
Maritime Museum on Tour
Another initiative Pernilla has developed is bringing the Maritime Museum to other parts of Sweden than Stockholm. One example of this is the excavation at Birka, of course. She also told me about their program in a town in northern Sweden, Luleå. A few years ago they went up to this town and taught the local schools and local community about their nearby shipwrecks. The town appreciated learning about their underwater heritage from experts in the field.
360-Degree Archiving
Pernilla showed me a recent project, which is a 360-degree picture of a shipwreck. The image does not distort as you move it. This technology was recently developed by a Swedish company, and the Maritime Museum is interested in using it to make 360-degree tours of some shipwrecks. If you use an iPad or iPhone, you can move the screen all the way around you. Pernilla said this is a nice way for non-divers to experience a more interactive version of a shipwreck than a mere picture.
Online Archives and Forums
I mentioned this briefly in my Birka post, but the Swedish National Heritage Board has an online archive of all archaeological sites in Sweden. This includes over 6,000 shipwrecks. However, Pernilla said the interface can be cumbersome, and it is difficult to sift through the information to find the interesting story behind a wreck. Because of this, a forum called Platsr was recently created. This is much more user-friendly, and it also engages the public by allowing people to edit information on shipwrecks. People can learn the interesting facts about a wreck, and if other people do further research, they can add it here. Pernilla said that the fun facts are featured here. Platsr links back to the Swedish National Heritage Board's archives if anyone wants more information. People can also find information online on how to report a shipwreck if discovered.
Scuba Diving Programs
The Maritime Museum sometimes runs Historical Diving programs for scuba divers, in which trained guides teach divers about the history of the wrecks. They have special slates with an archaeological map of the wreck printed on it. Pernilla said that working with the diving community is very important, because then the Maritime Museum has the opportunity to teach divers the safe way to navigate around wrecks. If the divers are made aware of the significance of the shipwrecks and are taught to respect this maritime heritage, there will be less looting.
Pernilla also explained that the Maritime Museum is always interested in having diving entrepreneurs and guides use this information they are making available. With all of these archives and maps and pictures, people can learn a lot about a shipwreck before diving it. They hope that people who take divers to the sites will take advantage of this available information and share it with divers.
Maritime Museum in a Shipping Crate
The Maritime Museum is in charge of all maritime heritage in Sweden, and Pernilla and two colleagues are the only people with the job of bringing that heritage to the public. Pernilla is also in charge of the dive parks. So one plan they have for next year is to engage some of their many supporters in Sweden. The Maritime Museum has a few thousand official supporters all throughout Sweden. Not everyone has access to the Maritime Museum itself, but Pernilla wants people to have access to the maritime heritage. So Pernilla wants to take a shipping crate, paint it the red color of the Maritime Museum logo, and fill it with exhibits, signs and information. Then, they can ship it to different locations throughout Sweden. She mostly wants it to go to some of the country's smaller maritime museums. She said there are around 35 maritime museums in Sweden. Another good location would be at vintage boat fairs. At such locations, supporters of the museum could un-pack the shipping crate and display that part of the Maritime Museum to the public. With such a project, Pernilla and her colleagues would not have to tour with the crate, but the information would still reach a large population.
Marine Harbor Mobile Application
When I brought up the fact that it must be difficult for the Vasa Museum not to be near the Maritime Museum, Pernilla told me that they are implementing some projects closer to the Vasa. For example, behind the Vasa Museum is the old marine harbor, which was active from the 17th century to the mid-20th century. She has developed a mobile app where people can take a tour of this area. There are still interesting buildings and sites in the area. Now, people visiting the Vasa can download the app and walk around the grounds, learning more about the maritime history of the harbor. There are also signs around this area with maritime heritage information.
Collaborating with Local Societies
Pernilla has been working with the Diving Historical Society, which houses a submarine training house in the area near the Vasa Museum. They have dive equipment dating back to the 17th-century, when the Vasa's cannons were salvaged. Pernilla is collaborating with this diving community to try to have them keep the building open more often. Right now, they are open to the public about five weekends a year.
She also is working with the Vintage Boat Society, which has an impressive collection of old boats. The society keeps the boathouse open every day for the three months of the summer. Often the entrance is manned by two little old ladies, according to Pernilla.
By working with these two societies, the Maritime Museum is encouraging locals who have an interest in maritime history to share their resources with the public.
Final Thoughts
I was astonished by how many initiatives Pernilla has created and maintained. It is a true testament to how much Sweden values its maritime heritage. The interview was a nice way to end my time here in Sweden. I think the people working with maritime heritage in this country have been very ingenious in creating ways to share the underwater heritage with the public. From coming up with inventive projects to garner interest in maritime history to keeping people updated on current research, Sweden has many projects which promote underwater heritage to both divers and non-divers. By making information readily available to the public, they also consider the best ways to protect these shipwrecks. It has been an amazing experience to speak with people so dedicated to underwater heritage here in Sweden.
IKEA Adventure
Hello everyone,
During my last week in Stockholm, I had to go to a center of Swedish culture: the IKEA mega-store. Now, I must first admit that I, Kristine, have never actually set foot in an IKEA store before this week. What I know about IKEA is from movies and from a few IKEA-loving friends. But since I have spent the last two months drinking out of IKEA glasses, using IKEA utensils and living surrounded by Ikea furniture, it seemed fitting to visit this mecca of Swedish design.
This Ikea store is located in the suburbs, but there is a free bus that runs every hour on the weekdays from Central Station to the store. I took this IKEA bus (which had a 'Welcome' doormat in it!) to the store, not knowing what to expect.
I guess I don't have any other IKEA store to which to compare this, but this store was HUGE. I took an escalator to the fourth floor, where you could walk around the cylindrical building to see lots and lots and lots of furniture. In the middle of the cylinder-shaped building was another set of showrooms. I counted three cafes and a play center for kids.
I wish I went here when I first arrived to buy a blanket and a pillow. They were too expensive at the department stores in downtown Stockholm, but I totally could have purchased a reasonably-priced pillow from IKEA. However, since I am leaving soon, I decided to not buy anything.
I did, of course, have to check out the IKEA cuisine. I had Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. What great traditional Swedish food!
To exit the building, I finally circled around down to the ground level. Then came a labyrinth of bedding and lighting and boxed-up furniture in this extension from the cylindrical building. It literally took me twenty minutes to see the light of day after exiting the main cylinder area. The map of how to exit looked like a maze. Anyway, I finally made it out and I took the bus back into the city. IKEA trip = success! Although it really made me want to furnish a room. Perhaps next year when I'm back in the US, I'll travel to my local IKEA store if I'm missing Sweden!
During my last week in Stockholm, I had to go to a center of Swedish culture: the IKEA mega-store. Now, I must first admit that I, Kristine, have never actually set foot in an IKEA store before this week. What I know about IKEA is from movies and from a few IKEA-loving friends. But since I have spent the last two months drinking out of IKEA glasses, using IKEA utensils and living surrounded by Ikea furniture, it seemed fitting to visit this mecca of Swedish design.
This Ikea store is located in the suburbs, but there is a free bus that runs every hour on the weekdays from Central Station to the store. I took this IKEA bus (which had a 'Welcome' doormat in it!) to the store, not knowing what to expect.
 |
| While waiting for the IKEA bus, I noticed that someone had put those orange headphones on the statue in front of Central Station. Probably because of the local construction. I found this immensely funny. |
I guess I don't have any other IKEA store to which to compare this, but this store was HUGE. I took an escalator to the fourth floor, where you could walk around the cylindrical building to see lots and lots and lots of furniture. In the middle of the cylinder-shaped building was another set of showrooms. I counted three cafes and a play center for kids.
 |
| My first IKEA adventure |
I wish I went here when I first arrived to buy a blanket and a pillow. They were too expensive at the department stores in downtown Stockholm, but I totally could have purchased a reasonably-priced pillow from IKEA. However, since I am leaving soon, I decided to not buy anything.
I did, of course, have to check out the IKEA cuisine. I had Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. What great traditional Swedish food!
 |
| My IKEA lunch |
To exit the building, I finally circled around down to the ground level. Then came a labyrinth of bedding and lighting and boxed-up furniture in this extension from the cylindrical building. It literally took me twenty minutes to see the light of day after exiting the main cylinder area. The map of how to exit looked like a maze. Anyway, I finally made it out and I took the bus back into the city. IKEA trip = success! Although it really made me want to furnish a room. Perhaps next year when I'm back in the US, I'll travel to my local IKEA store if I'm missing Sweden!
 |
| Goodbye, IKEA! |
Maritime Museum
Hello everyone,
Earlier this week I finally made it to the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. I'm a little ashamed I didn't go earlier. But honestly, the museum itself is not nearly as impressive as the initiatives and programs that are being implemented by the people who work there. Also, it took me over an hour to get to the museum from my place, which is odd because it really isn't that far outside of downtown Stockholm. I guess there are just no good bus routes from near the university to the Maritime Museum.
It's hard not to compare the Maritime Museum to the Vasa Museum. During my interview with Fred Hocker, he said that the increase in visitors to the Vasa Museum every year never affects the visitor rate to the Maritime Museum. If they were closer together, perhaps people would go to both with a duel-ticket. But right now, there are about a tenth as many visitors to the Maritime Museum as the Vasa Museum annually. It was relatively empty while I was there.
It's not that the Maritime Museum isn't nice. I've been to a few maritime museums in Europe, and this one was pretty standard. I just felt like after seeing the Vasa, this maritime museum was a little less exciting.
The museum did have an impressive exhibition on models of ships, from old viking ships to modern submarines and aircraft carriers.
There were sculptures from old ships up on the walls and an interesting exhibition of life on a ship in Sweden in the mid 20th century. I learned about the shipping and trade business, too.
I was most impressed with the two rooms designed for kids. This is probably because almost all local schools go on field trips to the museum. In one room, I learned how to tie different types of nautical knots. They had the International Maritime Signal Flags and their meanings, so kids could interact with the exhibit. Downstairs, there was this whole play-area for kids with ships and a dock and water. It looked like the Maritime Museum really catered to children, which is nice. It's important for kids to become interested in this part of their history, especially in Sweden, as maritime history is prominent in this country.
I sort of feel bad that I did not get as excited in the Maritime Museum as in the Vasa Museum. Certainly, I learned a lot. And as someone who has an interest in maritime history, I was very glad that I visited. However, I completely understand why this museum is overshadowed by the Vasa Museum. I think it is important to remember that the museum is so much more than just exhibits. The research and public outreach programs they do (like what I talked about in the Birka post, and what I'll discuss in my post about my interview with Pernilla Flyg) are great ways to share their knowledge on maritime history outside of the museum.
Earlier this week I finally made it to the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. I'm a little ashamed I didn't go earlier. But honestly, the museum itself is not nearly as impressive as the initiatives and programs that are being implemented by the people who work there. Also, it took me over an hour to get to the museum from my place, which is odd because it really isn't that far outside of downtown Stockholm. I guess there are just no good bus routes from near the university to the Maritime Museum.
 |
| Maritime Museum |
 |
| Outside the Maritime Museum |
It's hard not to compare the Maritime Museum to the Vasa Museum. During my interview with Fred Hocker, he said that the increase in visitors to the Vasa Museum every year never affects the visitor rate to the Maritime Museum. If they were closer together, perhaps people would go to both with a duel-ticket. But right now, there are about a tenth as many visitors to the Maritime Museum as the Vasa Museum annually. It was relatively empty while I was there.
It's not that the Maritime Museum isn't nice. I've been to a few maritime museums in Europe, and this one was pretty standard. I just felt like after seeing the Vasa, this maritime museum was a little less exciting.
The museum did have an impressive exhibition on models of ships, from old viking ships to modern submarines and aircraft carriers.
 |
| Model ship in the Maritime Museum |
There were sculptures from old ships up on the walls and an interesting exhibition of life on a ship in Sweden in the mid 20th century. I learned about the shipping and trade business, too.
 |
| Sculpture from ship |
 |
| The back of a ship |
I was most impressed with the two rooms designed for kids. This is probably because almost all local schools go on field trips to the museum. In one room, I learned how to tie different types of nautical knots. They had the International Maritime Signal Flags and their meanings, so kids could interact with the exhibit. Downstairs, there was this whole play-area for kids with ships and a dock and water. It looked like the Maritime Museum really catered to children, which is nice. It's important for kids to become interested in this part of their history, especially in Sweden, as maritime history is prominent in this country.
 |
| Knot-tying table |
 |
| Maritime playroom |
 |
| Playroom in Maritime Museum |
I sort of feel bad that I did not get as excited in the Maritime Museum as in the Vasa Museum. Certainly, I learned a lot. And as someone who has an interest in maritime history, I was very glad that I visited. However, I completely understand why this museum is overshadowed by the Vasa Museum. I think it is important to remember that the museum is so much more than just exhibits. The research and public outreach programs they do (like what I talked about in the Birka post, and what I'll discuss in my post about my interview with Pernilla Flyg) are great ways to share their knowledge on maritime history outside of the museum.
Lunch and Dive Discussion
Hello everyone,
Last weekend I had lunch with my mom's friend's cousin and her husband. Yvonne and Calle live in Stockholm, so my mom's friend offered to get me in contact with them. It was great to meet them and explain what I've been doing in Sweden. Lunch was delicious, but I also learned a lot while there! Calle was in the Swedish Navy when he was younger, and he worked on a rescue-submarine, which is a little sub that can go down and attach to a larger submarine during emergencies. He had to scuba dive as part of his work with the navy, and he later worked in a dive shop.
It was great to see pictures and learn about navy diving. He also showed me a picture of these rescue-suits that people in a submarine can use to get to the surface. It's basically a dry-suit, and there's enough air inside for someone to breathe while going up to the surface, since the air expands as the person rises. So the person would go into a hatch-tunnel-thing (I don't know submarine terminology!) with the suit, then they'd fill the hatch with water, open the top, and the person swims up to the surface if there's an emergency to get out.
Back in 1990, Calle and his friends found a shipwreck (from within the last 100 years, so not Swedish cultural heritage) when one of his friends did research at the maritime archives. I believe he said the ship was built in the early 1900's and sank in the 1940's. They actually purchased the ship, since the insurance provider of the ship was still an existing company. Then he and his group of friends took a boat to the ship and salvaged some findings from the top and the first level down. I got to see pictures of some of their finds. What an interesting thing to do with your scuba diving friends!
In Yvonne and Calle's living room sits a copper diving helmet. Calle has used it before, but it was in use for about twenty years before he got it. I tried the helmet on, and boy, was it heavy! Of course, underwater, the weight wouldn't be an issue.
At the end of the afternoon Yvonne showed me pictures of South Africa, since they lived there for a year. I got some good South Africa diving suggestions from them, and it made me really excited to go to Cape Town! Of course, I'm excited for Egypt and Turkey before then, too. I still can't believe I have this opportunity to go to so many wonderful places.
Last weekend I had lunch with my mom's friend's cousin and her husband. Yvonne and Calle live in Stockholm, so my mom's friend offered to get me in contact with them. It was great to meet them and explain what I've been doing in Sweden. Lunch was delicious, but I also learned a lot while there! Calle was in the Swedish Navy when he was younger, and he worked on a rescue-submarine, which is a little sub that can go down and attach to a larger submarine during emergencies. He had to scuba dive as part of his work with the navy, and he later worked in a dive shop.
It was great to see pictures and learn about navy diving. He also showed me a picture of these rescue-suits that people in a submarine can use to get to the surface. It's basically a dry-suit, and there's enough air inside for someone to breathe while going up to the surface, since the air expands as the person rises. So the person would go into a hatch-tunnel-thing (I don't know submarine terminology!) with the suit, then they'd fill the hatch with water, open the top, and the person swims up to the surface if there's an emergency to get out.
Back in 1990, Calle and his friends found a shipwreck (from within the last 100 years, so not Swedish cultural heritage) when one of his friends did research at the maritime archives. I believe he said the ship was built in the early 1900's and sank in the 1940's. They actually purchased the ship, since the insurance provider of the ship was still an existing company. Then he and his group of friends took a boat to the ship and salvaged some findings from the top and the first level down. I got to see pictures of some of their finds. What an interesting thing to do with your scuba diving friends!
In Yvonne and Calle's living room sits a copper diving helmet. Calle has used it before, but it was in use for about twenty years before he got it. I tried the helmet on, and boy, was it heavy! Of course, underwater, the weight wouldn't be an issue.
 |
| Me wearing Calle's copper dive helmet |
At the end of the afternoon Yvonne showed me pictures of South Africa, since they lived there for a year. I got some good South Africa diving suggestions from them, and it made me really excited to go to Cape Town! Of course, I'm excited for Egypt and Turkey before then, too. I still can't believe I have this opportunity to go to so many wonderful places.
Vasa Interview: Raising Wrecks & Museum Matters
Hello everyone,
Last week I interviewed Fred Hocker, the director of research at the Vasa Museum. After trying to find a time we were both available, I ended up taking the commuter train out to the suburbs to meet with Mr. Hocker at his home, as that afternoon he was leaving for a trip. Hocker has worked on numerous maritime archaeological sites around the world, and he gave me some great advice on contacts for Turkey and Australia. Hocker is actually an American, and he has been working at the Vasa Museum for almost a decade. He is in charge of the ongoing investigations relating to the Vasa, as well as other 17th-century shipwrecks found in Sweden. Hocker works with the research, not with the publicity of cultural heritage. During the interview we discussed the benefits and drawbacks of raising a wreck, how the Vasa Museum shares its information, and other interesting topics relating to maritime archaeology and the Vasa. For those of you who are reading this blog for the pictures, I'm sorry to say that you're be disappointed in this post. But there's a lot of interesting information for my project!
When I asked Hocker his opinion on raising wrecks, he said that there are several aspects to consider for each case. Hocker said that had the Swedish government known the cost of raising, preserving, and maintaining the Vasa, it is unlikely they would have chosen to raise it. However, now that they do have it, the Vasa is a wonderful resource. Also, because Sweden has the Vasa, it is very unlikely that they would ever want to raise another substantial shipwreck. It would never be worth the time, effort, or cost, especially since the Vasa Museum already fills the role of getting the public interested in shipwrecks.
Hocker also noted that while the current philosophy among maritime archaeologists is in situ preservation, he does not agree that that is necessarily the best case for every wreck. Certainly, most wrecks should remain underwater, for a number of reasons (which I will discuss below). However, he disagrees with the idea that raising a wreck is wrong. A raised wreck can have considerable value, especially in igniting the interest of the general public in maritime history. When considering whether a wreck should be raised, Hocker explained to me that there are certain questions to ask and aspects to consider.
Cost-benefit is very important to consider in the field of wreck-raising. It is extremely expensive to raise and preserve a wreck. Can the government make the money back through admissions to a museum or another fundraising initiative? Hocker also noted that one must consider how best to allocate funding for maritime archaeology. Is it better to raise one Vasa-like shipwreck, or to do archaeological in situ research on over sixty wrecks?
However, at least in the case of the Vasa, the money donated for the raising of the wreck probably would not have been available for in situ research. People are likely to make large-scale donations for something as momentous as raising a 17th-century ship, while fewer would be interested in donating for research conducted underwater. These benefactors want to see the ship themselves; they want to know where their money is going. Because of this, the argument that the money for raising wrecks could be better allocated elsewhere can be challenged. However, even with wealthy benefactors, raising a wreck is still a great cost, and a cost-benefit analysis should be considered.
Hocker discussed how certain raised wrecks can be effective vehicles to excite the public about maritime and naval history. Even if people cannot learn specific historical facts about a wreck, a displayed shipwreck can get people interested in learning more about the wreck's historical context. One raised wreck can be a tool to communicate research about other wrecks not on display. Hocker called a raised wreck an "iconic focus" for the public. Were the Vasa not actually in the museum, people could still walk through the exhibits and learn a great deal from models and replicas. But the ship itself--what Hocker calls the 'wow factor'--is what entices people. Not all wrecks are exciting-enough to be worth the efforts to raise and preserve them, perhaps because they are not intact or not very grandiose.
Also, in Sweden at least, there is little need for another large raised wreck from the 17th century. Another raised wreck would not be an effective tool to excite the public, since the Vasa already is Sweden's tool. For example, a 17th-century merchant ship, nicknamed the Ghost Ship, was recently found in the Baltic Sea. It is in great condition and would be an excellent vehicle for contextualizing Baltic Trade. Sweden, however, has no interest in raising another 17th-century ship. The Dutch, on the other hand, are considering possibly raising this ship and bringing it back to Holland. As they have nothing like the Vasa Museum, this ship would be a good resource for them.
Some wrecks are and should be raised because it is important to preserve them before they deteriorate. If the underwater environment is ruining the wreck, it is reasonable to consider raising the wreck before this piece of heritage is destroyed. In Sweden, this is rarely an issue. As I discussed in my Axmar Blue Park post, the underwater environment in this area is very conducive to preserving wrecks.
Hocker explained to me that raising the Vasa was a relatively easy process because of the wrecked ship's location. As I noted in the post about the Vasa Museum, the Vasa sank in Stockholm's harbor. So when the archaeologists looked into recovering this wreck, there were many advantages. First of all, the Vasa was intact, making it easier to raise and float to shore.
The Vasa also was inside sheltered waters. Hocker explained to me the benefits of a sheltered wreck versus one in open water. The issue with attempting to raise a wreck in un-sheltered water is that the archaeologists cannot do any process or project underwater which takes a long time. They have about a two-hour warning for when the weather will change, and if the weather gets bad, they need to go back to shore. So if the unit needs to do something for the process of raising the wreck that takes more than two hours, they never know if they will have to abandon it mid-mission. This makes the planning and execution of the wreck-raising very difficult, as the divers need to be able to stop their work and pack-up at about two hours' notice.
Finally, the Vasa was wrecked basically right in front of the Swedish Navy's main diver school. Having the team and equipment to raise a wreck so close made the process quite feasible. For any wreck, one must consider the potential feasibility of raising the wreck, as it can be a very difficult process depending on the location and condition of the wreck.
Once a wreck is raised, it has to be housed somewhere. Most often, this is a museum. Hocker suggested that one must consider the location of this museum. He told me about the Mary Rose wreck in England, an impressive 16th-century wreck housed in Portsmouth, England. Mary Rose is a very significant find in the field of maritime archaeology. However, Hocker explained to me that due to its location, the Mary Rose is not nearly as famous as the Vasa. The ship has about 300,000 visitors a year, compared to the Vasa's 1.2 million visitors. While the Vasa Museum is in Stockholm, the Mary Rose is up in Portsmouth, rather than in a more central location, like London. It is not easy to get to, and it is not on the way anywhere. Therefore, while this ship has been compared to the Vasa in its historical significance, the Mary Rose does not have nearly as wide-spread an impact as the raised warship Vasa. One of the great benefits of raising a wreck is to excite the public, and if a wreck will not be easily accessible to the public, it becomes less worthwhile to raise.
Another question we discussed was whether a specific wreck has a strong potential to tell its story. Hocker referenced a ship he worked on in Turkey, where the archaeological finds inside were very significant for a specific time period's economy. However, in the museum exhibit itself, the significance of the wreck is hard for a visitor to understand. If a wreck cannot tell its story well, it probably is not worthwhile to raise it and display it to the public. Leaving it in situ for archaeological research would have the benefit of allowing researchers to learn about the wreck's past without the hassle of raising it to the surface.
Hocker and I also discussed what other options can be considered for a wreck. Is there a better use for a specific wreck than raising it? If a wreck does not seem worth raising, there are other options. We discussed dive parks, where sport divers could appreciate the wrecks in situ. A benefit of establishing a dive park is that the sport divers could go with a guide, who could teach them about the history of the wreck as well as the safely precautions needed for diving near a wreck. This would help not only keep the wrecks safe from inadvertent damage, but also keep the divers safe.
Hocker also told me his opinions on commercial exploitation of wrecks. He said that in his field, most people are vehemently against treasure hunting. They do not think civilians should be able to own and sell shipwrecks or their contents. Hocker, however, has a different opinion. He made an analogy to owning a 17th-century home. He said that people who own historical homes have to follow certain regulations. They cannot just gut the house and put in a modern interior; they cannot rip apart the house and sell it brick-by-brick. An owner of a 17-century home must follow guidelines to preserve the house as cultural heritage. Hocker asked why we cannot have a similar situation with shipwrecks. Like a house, certain regulations would have to be made, so the owner could not rip apart the wreck and sell it piece by piece. They would have to follow these rules to know what they can and cannot do, what can be changed, and what must be preserved. Hocker admits that his opinion is not the norm. However, he says that with so many historic shipwrecks, it is impossible for governments to preserve them all. By having private owners, more shipwrecks could be preserved by the private sector. This view was something I hadn't considered, and I must admit I'm not quite sure my opinion on it. I think treasure hunting in general is bad, and that everyone should work to protect and preserve any underwater heritage and not use it for profit. I also question whether it is a good idea to let someone own this heritage, since it would then not be available to the public. However, if someone purchased a shipwreck and then dedicated their time to maintaining it, I guess that would be beneficial, especially if the alternative is for the wreck to deteriorate underwater or be stripped of its contents by looters.
Hocker also suggested that a good way to preserve shipwrecks underwater is to have local dive clubs adopt shipwrecks. In fact, most wrecks found in Sweden are discovered by dive clubs, and some have done extensive research on the wrecks and have volunteered to help more. This way, the local people are taking initiative to protect their underwater heritage, and there are more people than just the staff of the maritime museum maintaining the many shipwrecks. Of the five significant 17th-century wrecks currently being studied by the Vasa Museum, none were discovered by archaeologists. (Hocker explained to me that the Vasa archaeology research unit does not just research the Vasa and its findings, but rather they are called if any 17th-century wrecks are found. This is because the Vasa archaeologists are extremely knowledgeable about this era. The other wrecks are researched by the Maritime Museum's archaeologists). Three of these wrecks were discovered by dive clubs.
The other two wrecks were found by MMT, a Swedish geological survey company. This company does marine surveys, and they discovered two wrecks with their technology. Hocker said that the owner of this company is very interested in historical wrecks, so he has loaned his survey equipment to the Vasa archaeologists for a week at a time to help out with the discovery and research of Swedish wrecks. To me, the dive clubs and MMT are impressive examples of the community's involvement in Sweden's underwater heritage.
It is clear that there are many different options of what to do with a discovered wreck other than raise it. So when considering whether to raise a wreck, one should think about other uses for the wreck in situ, and how a wreck left underwater can be appreciated, too.
In Sweden, any wreck over 100 years old is considered national heritage and is the property of the Swedish government. But there are many modern wrecks, too. Hocker explained to me that with the advancements of maritime archaeology in the recent century, some modern wrecks are completely unnecessary to raise. At a certain point in modern history, a wreck can be so well-documented--from ship logs to blueprints to first-person accounts--that there is little archaeologists can learn from raising it. In fact, for some wrecks, there is little use in even doing in situ research. This growth of archaeological awareness is changing how maritime archaeologists approach modern wrecks. The advancement of record-keeping might make future research on modern wrecks not worthwhile.
While Hocker and I discussed the questions he thinks are important to consider when one is debating whether to raise a wreck, we also talked about how the Vasa Museum is much more than a wreck in a building. Clearly, despite the continual cost, the Vasa was worthwhile to raise. The ship and its museum are an excellent vehicle to share information on the Vasa itself as well as the context of 17th-century Sweden and 17th-century seafaring in general. The newly-discovered 17th-century wrecks in Sweden may be incorporated into the museum eventually, as they would be useful in contextualizing the Vasa. The Vasa shipwreck is a vehicle to take the visitors back to the 17th-century. People need context, and the exhibits use the Vasa as a way to share much more than the story of that one ship.
We then talked about the Vasa as a museum. Hocker said that the museum is very anti-text, with mostly diagrams, models and pictures. This is because in the summer, 8,000 visitors a day need to get through the museum. With lots of text, people will take much longer.
Hocker explained that they consider the Vasa Museum to have two versions: the summer and the winter. In the summer, the thousands of visitors are there for the 'wow-factor.' The average visit is around 45 minutes. Most often people come in large groups. With such situations, there is no way to get across a deeper meaning. It is hard for the museum to share a lot of information in the summer, so they cater to getting as many people as possible to experience that 'wow-moment' of seeing the Vasa.
Because there are so many visitors, the museum has to market to everyone. There's really no specific target audience for the Vasa, although Hocker said the average visitor is a 35-year-old German woman. The Vasa Museum attracts maritime history enthusiasts, 'gun nuts' who want to see the cannons and learn about sea warfare, people who simply are there with a large group from a cruise tour, and more. The Vasa is the most-visited museum in Sweden. The number of people who go to the Vasa has risen by half a million annually in the last nine years Hocker has worked there. All increase is from foreign tourism, mostly in the summer.
In the winter, there is a higher proportion of Swedish visitors. The average visit lasts a couple of hours. With such conditions, the Vasa Museum has the opportunity to share a lot more information. Most of the temporary exhibitions are in the winter, because people have the time to learn about this new research and the new contextualization. The Vasa archaeology unit is continually preserving and studying the Vasa and its contents, and in the winter they have more of an opportunity to share that research. Hocker said he and his colleagues like to do their work in front of the tourists, so visitors know that while the Vasa was raised decades ago, they are always learning new things.
Hocker himself like the bigger context. As the research director, he develops this context. He thinks it is important to not think of the Vasa Museum as the home of a specific ship, but rather a place to learn about 17th-century society and how the ship represents a bigger picture. The Vasa was built during the 30 Years War, which gives it a world-wide context. It also was built during the same period as the English Civil War and when Spain was conquering the Americas. Rum from the Caribbean was found on board. The Vasa's wood was imported from Poland. This shipwreck represents much more than just Swedish society in the 17th-century. Hocker's job includes developing this bigger concept and finding strategies to make this information available.
There are two ways to share the newly discovered research from the Vasa. One is through books. As the museum is rather anti-text, a book would allow someone a much deeper understanding of the Vasa and its international context. Hocker has written many books on the Vasa, one of which is a best-seller in its genre. However, Hocker added that by bestseller, he meant that it has sold 1,200 copies. An entire publication of a book like this would be 4,000. So even if every book of that publication were purchased, the readers would equal half the number of people who go to the museum on any given summer day. Because of this, Hocker believes the best way to share more information is to educate the guides.
At the Vasa Museum, the guides will talk to more people than will ever read what is written about the Vasa. A standard 25-minute tour is given every hour. However, the guides are strongly encouraged to do research and develop a tour on their own interests. Some examples are an architecture tour, where the guide teaches about the museum building's architecture, a preservation tour, a chemistry and science tour, and a shipbuilding/carpentry tour. People can also tour the magazine. Recently a queer tour was developed, where the guide discusses the gender roles on board the Vasa, since a woman's skeleton found in the Vasa appeared to have been wearing men's clothes. Hocker did a special tour based on the economies of Sweden and other countries in the 1620's for a group of visiting European bankers. By advertising these themed tours and also allowing people to request them, the Vasa Museum has a vehicle for letting visitors delve more deeply into a specific interest of theirs. This allows the guides and also others who work at the museum to share new research and to discuss more than the very basics of the exhibits. One thing Hocker stressed to me was that while they will make just about any type of tour, there is no on-board tour.
Hocker said that there is tension at the Vasa Museum relating to allowing people on-board. Clearly, it is not feasible to have visitors to the Vasa board the ship. First of all, it would be difficult to be sure the ship remained preserved, as over a million people visit the museum annually. Also, there are just too many visitors to allow every person to walk through the ship. People would be lined up for hours. So while it would be a great experience for people to actually step onto the Vasa, it will never happen.
When being trained, the guides are brought onto the ship. While they are allowed to take pictures, they are not allowed to publish them online. That means no pictures on board the Vasa can be on Facebook. The museum finds it imperative that people do not come to the Vasa Museum with the assumption that visitors can board the ship. They are very careful to make sure that the public doesn't have that impression.
However, there are a few Very Important People who get the honor of going onto the Vasa. Hocker filled me in on which people can really board the ship. Heads of State, Nobel Prize winners, certain colleagues and students of maritime archaeology are allowed private tours on the Vasa. The king and his guests are always allowed on board. In fact, the island on which the Vasa Museum is built is the only island in Sweden where the king is still the absolute monarch. When they want to do any construction or expansion at the museum, they actually have to ask the king's permission. So of course the king has the right to board the ship. However, if a visiting monarch is there, the foreign king can board, but his heirs and his Prime Misister are not invited. Hocker said that they made an exception this past spring for Prince Charles, but as he is the head of the Mary Rose trust, he is sort of a colleague, too. Donors cannot buy the right to go onto the Vasa. However, sometimes they take potential donors on an on-board tour, in order to entice them to donate to the museum. It is a very exclusive group which is allowed onto the ship!
From my interview with Hocker, I not only learned a lot about the Vasa and their struggles to share their new research, but also about the issues one must consider when contemplating whether to raise a wreck. While the Vasa Museum makes it look like raising a shipwreck is a great way to bring underwater heritage to the masses, not every shipwreck is worth raising. Even the Vasa Museum, a very popular destination, struggles with portraying this specimen of underwater heritage and its contextual significance. However, no one can deny that the raised Vasa has made millions of people aware of and excited about shipwrecks.
Last week I interviewed Fred Hocker, the director of research at the Vasa Museum. After trying to find a time we were both available, I ended up taking the commuter train out to the suburbs to meet with Mr. Hocker at his home, as that afternoon he was leaving for a trip. Hocker has worked on numerous maritime archaeological sites around the world, and he gave me some great advice on contacts for Turkey and Australia. Hocker is actually an American, and he has been working at the Vasa Museum for almost a decade. He is in charge of the ongoing investigations relating to the Vasa, as well as other 17th-century shipwrecks found in Sweden. Hocker works with the research, not with the publicity of cultural heritage. During the interview we discussed the benefits and drawbacks of raising a wreck, how the Vasa Museum shares its information, and other interesting topics relating to maritime archaeology and the Vasa. For those of you who are reading this blog for the pictures, I'm sorry to say that you're be disappointed in this post. But there's a lot of interesting information for my project!
To Raise a Wreck or Keep it in situ?
When I asked Hocker his opinion on raising wrecks, he said that there are several aspects to consider for each case. Hocker said that had the Swedish government known the cost of raising, preserving, and maintaining the Vasa, it is unlikely they would have chosen to raise it. However, now that they do have it, the Vasa is a wonderful resource. Also, because Sweden has the Vasa, it is very unlikely that they would ever want to raise another substantial shipwreck. It would never be worth the time, effort, or cost, especially since the Vasa Museum already fills the role of getting the public interested in shipwrecks.
Hocker also noted that while the current philosophy among maritime archaeologists is in situ preservation, he does not agree that that is necessarily the best case for every wreck. Certainly, most wrecks should remain underwater, for a number of reasons (which I will discuss below). However, he disagrees with the idea that raising a wreck is wrong. A raised wreck can have considerable value, especially in igniting the interest of the general public in maritime history. When considering whether a wreck should be raised, Hocker explained to me that there are certain questions to ask and aspects to consider.
Is Raising This Wreck Worth the Cost?
Cost-benefit is very important to consider in the field of wreck-raising. It is extremely expensive to raise and preserve a wreck. Can the government make the money back through admissions to a museum or another fundraising initiative? Hocker also noted that one must consider how best to allocate funding for maritime archaeology. Is it better to raise one Vasa-like shipwreck, or to do archaeological in situ research on over sixty wrecks?
However, at least in the case of the Vasa, the money donated for the raising of the wreck probably would not have been available for in situ research. People are likely to make large-scale donations for something as momentous as raising a 17th-century ship, while fewer would be interested in donating for research conducted underwater. These benefactors want to see the ship themselves; they want to know where their money is going. Because of this, the argument that the money for raising wrecks could be better allocated elsewhere can be challenged. However, even with wealthy benefactors, raising a wreck is still a great cost, and a cost-benefit analysis should be considered.
Would This Raised Wreck an Effective Tool to Communicate Something Significant?
Hocker discussed how certain raised wrecks can be effective vehicles to excite the public about maritime and naval history. Even if people cannot learn specific historical facts about a wreck, a displayed shipwreck can get people interested in learning more about the wreck's historical context. One raised wreck can be a tool to communicate research about other wrecks not on display. Hocker called a raised wreck an "iconic focus" for the public. Were the Vasa not actually in the museum, people could still walk through the exhibits and learn a great deal from models and replicas. But the ship itself--what Hocker calls the 'wow factor'--is what entices people. Not all wrecks are exciting-enough to be worth the efforts to raise and preserve them, perhaps because they are not intact or not very grandiose.
Also, in Sweden at least, there is little need for another large raised wreck from the 17th century. Another raised wreck would not be an effective tool to excite the public, since the Vasa already is Sweden's tool. For example, a 17th-century merchant ship, nicknamed the Ghost Ship, was recently found in the Baltic Sea. It is in great condition and would be an excellent vehicle for contextualizing Baltic Trade. Sweden, however, has no interest in raising another 17th-century ship. The Dutch, on the other hand, are considering possibly raising this ship and bringing it back to Holland. As they have nothing like the Vasa Museum, this ship would be a good resource for them.
Is This Wreck Safe Where It Currently Is Wrecked?
Some wrecks are and should be raised because it is important to preserve them before they deteriorate. If the underwater environment is ruining the wreck, it is reasonable to consider raising the wreck before this piece of heritage is destroyed. In Sweden, this is rarely an issue. As I discussed in my Axmar Blue Park post, the underwater environment in this area is very conducive to preserving wrecks.
Is This Wreck Logistically Feasible to Raise?
Hocker explained to me that raising the Vasa was a relatively easy process because of the wrecked ship's location. As I noted in the post about the Vasa Museum, the Vasa sank in Stockholm's harbor. So when the archaeologists looked into recovering this wreck, there were many advantages. First of all, the Vasa was intact, making it easier to raise and float to shore.
The Vasa also was inside sheltered waters. Hocker explained to me the benefits of a sheltered wreck versus one in open water. The issue with attempting to raise a wreck in un-sheltered water is that the archaeologists cannot do any process or project underwater which takes a long time. They have about a two-hour warning for when the weather will change, and if the weather gets bad, they need to go back to shore. So if the unit needs to do something for the process of raising the wreck that takes more than two hours, they never know if they will have to abandon it mid-mission. This makes the planning and execution of the wreck-raising very difficult, as the divers need to be able to stop their work and pack-up at about two hours' notice.
Finally, the Vasa was wrecked basically right in front of the Swedish Navy's main diver school. Having the team and equipment to raise a wreck so close made the process quite feasible. For any wreck, one must consider the potential feasibility of raising the wreck, as it can be a very difficult process depending on the location and condition of the wreck.
Can This Wreck Get its Message Across in its New Location?
Once a wreck is raised, it has to be housed somewhere. Most often, this is a museum. Hocker suggested that one must consider the location of this museum. He told me about the Mary Rose wreck in England, an impressive 16th-century wreck housed in Portsmouth, England. Mary Rose is a very significant find in the field of maritime archaeology. However, Hocker explained to me that due to its location, the Mary Rose is not nearly as famous as the Vasa. The ship has about 300,000 visitors a year, compared to the Vasa's 1.2 million visitors. While the Vasa Museum is in Stockholm, the Mary Rose is up in Portsmouth, rather than in a more central location, like London. It is not easy to get to, and it is not on the way anywhere. Therefore, while this ship has been compared to the Vasa in its historical significance, the Mary Rose does not have nearly as wide-spread an impact as the raised warship Vasa. One of the great benefits of raising a wreck is to excite the public, and if a wreck will not be easily accessible to the public, it becomes less worthwhile to raise.
Will This Wreck Tell its Story Well?
Another question we discussed was whether a specific wreck has a strong potential to tell its story. Hocker referenced a ship he worked on in Turkey, where the archaeological finds inside were very significant for a specific time period's economy. However, in the museum exhibit itself, the significance of the wreck is hard for a visitor to understand. If a wreck cannot tell its story well, it probably is not worthwhile to raise it and display it to the public. Leaving it in situ for archaeological research would have the benefit of allowing researchers to learn about the wreck's past without the hassle of raising it to the surface.
What Else Could One Do With This Wreck?
Hocker and I also discussed what other options can be considered for a wreck. Is there a better use for a specific wreck than raising it? If a wreck does not seem worth raising, there are other options. We discussed dive parks, where sport divers could appreciate the wrecks in situ. A benefit of establishing a dive park is that the sport divers could go with a guide, who could teach them about the history of the wreck as well as the safely precautions needed for diving near a wreck. This would help not only keep the wrecks safe from inadvertent damage, but also keep the divers safe.
Hocker also told me his opinions on commercial exploitation of wrecks. He said that in his field, most people are vehemently against treasure hunting. They do not think civilians should be able to own and sell shipwrecks or their contents. Hocker, however, has a different opinion. He made an analogy to owning a 17th-century home. He said that people who own historical homes have to follow certain regulations. They cannot just gut the house and put in a modern interior; they cannot rip apart the house and sell it brick-by-brick. An owner of a 17-century home must follow guidelines to preserve the house as cultural heritage. Hocker asked why we cannot have a similar situation with shipwrecks. Like a house, certain regulations would have to be made, so the owner could not rip apart the wreck and sell it piece by piece. They would have to follow these rules to know what they can and cannot do, what can be changed, and what must be preserved. Hocker admits that his opinion is not the norm. However, he says that with so many historic shipwrecks, it is impossible for governments to preserve them all. By having private owners, more shipwrecks could be preserved by the private sector. This view was something I hadn't considered, and I must admit I'm not quite sure my opinion on it. I think treasure hunting in general is bad, and that everyone should work to protect and preserve any underwater heritage and not use it for profit. I also question whether it is a good idea to let someone own this heritage, since it would then not be available to the public. However, if someone purchased a shipwreck and then dedicated their time to maintaining it, I guess that would be beneficial, especially if the alternative is for the wreck to deteriorate underwater or be stripped of its contents by looters.
Hocker also suggested that a good way to preserve shipwrecks underwater is to have local dive clubs adopt shipwrecks. In fact, most wrecks found in Sweden are discovered by dive clubs, and some have done extensive research on the wrecks and have volunteered to help more. This way, the local people are taking initiative to protect their underwater heritage, and there are more people than just the staff of the maritime museum maintaining the many shipwrecks. Of the five significant 17th-century wrecks currently being studied by the Vasa Museum, none were discovered by archaeologists. (Hocker explained to me that the Vasa archaeology research unit does not just research the Vasa and its findings, but rather they are called if any 17th-century wrecks are found. This is because the Vasa archaeologists are extremely knowledgeable about this era. The other wrecks are researched by the Maritime Museum's archaeologists). Three of these wrecks were discovered by dive clubs.
The other two wrecks were found by MMT, a Swedish geological survey company. This company does marine surveys, and they discovered two wrecks with their technology. Hocker said that the owner of this company is very interested in historical wrecks, so he has loaned his survey equipment to the Vasa archaeologists for a week at a time to help out with the discovery and research of Swedish wrecks. To me, the dive clubs and MMT are impressive examples of the community's involvement in Sweden's underwater heritage.
It is clear that there are many different options of what to do with a discovered wreck other than raise it. So when considering whether to raise a wreck, one should think about other uses for the wreck in situ, and how a wreck left underwater can be appreciated, too.
Will This Wreck Teach Us Anything New?
In Sweden, any wreck over 100 years old is considered national heritage and is the property of the Swedish government. But there are many modern wrecks, too. Hocker explained to me that with the advancements of maritime archaeology in the recent century, some modern wrecks are completely unnecessary to raise. At a certain point in modern history, a wreck can be so well-documented--from ship logs to blueprints to first-person accounts--that there is little archaeologists can learn from raising it. In fact, for some wrecks, there is little use in even doing in situ research. This growth of archaeological awareness is changing how maritime archaeologists approach modern wrecks. The advancement of record-keeping might make future research on modern wrecks not worthwhile.
The Vasa Museum: How to Share its Story
While Hocker and I discussed the questions he thinks are important to consider when one is debating whether to raise a wreck, we also talked about how the Vasa Museum is much more than a wreck in a building. Clearly, despite the continual cost, the Vasa was worthwhile to raise. The ship and its museum are an excellent vehicle to share information on the Vasa itself as well as the context of 17th-century Sweden and 17th-century seafaring in general. The newly-discovered 17th-century wrecks in Sweden may be incorporated into the museum eventually, as they would be useful in contextualizing the Vasa. The Vasa shipwreck is a vehicle to take the visitors back to the 17th-century. People need context, and the exhibits use the Vasa as a way to share much more than the story of that one ship.
We then talked about the Vasa as a museum. Hocker said that the museum is very anti-text, with mostly diagrams, models and pictures. This is because in the summer, 8,000 visitors a day need to get through the museum. With lots of text, people will take much longer.
Hocker explained that they consider the Vasa Museum to have two versions: the summer and the winter. In the summer, the thousands of visitors are there for the 'wow-factor.' The average visit is around 45 minutes. Most often people come in large groups. With such situations, there is no way to get across a deeper meaning. It is hard for the museum to share a lot of information in the summer, so they cater to getting as many people as possible to experience that 'wow-moment' of seeing the Vasa.
Because there are so many visitors, the museum has to market to everyone. There's really no specific target audience for the Vasa, although Hocker said the average visitor is a 35-year-old German woman. The Vasa Museum attracts maritime history enthusiasts, 'gun nuts' who want to see the cannons and learn about sea warfare, people who simply are there with a large group from a cruise tour, and more. The Vasa is the most-visited museum in Sweden. The number of people who go to the Vasa has risen by half a million annually in the last nine years Hocker has worked there. All increase is from foreign tourism, mostly in the summer.
In the winter, there is a higher proportion of Swedish visitors. The average visit lasts a couple of hours. With such conditions, the Vasa Museum has the opportunity to share a lot more information. Most of the temporary exhibitions are in the winter, because people have the time to learn about this new research and the new contextualization. The Vasa archaeology unit is continually preserving and studying the Vasa and its contents, and in the winter they have more of an opportunity to share that research. Hocker said he and his colleagues like to do their work in front of the tourists, so visitors know that while the Vasa was raised decades ago, they are always learning new things.
Hocker himself like the bigger context. As the research director, he develops this context. He thinks it is important to not think of the Vasa Museum as the home of a specific ship, but rather a place to learn about 17th-century society and how the ship represents a bigger picture. The Vasa was built during the 30 Years War, which gives it a world-wide context. It also was built during the same period as the English Civil War and when Spain was conquering the Americas. Rum from the Caribbean was found on board. The Vasa's wood was imported from Poland. This shipwreck represents much more than just Swedish society in the 17th-century. Hocker's job includes developing this bigger concept and finding strategies to make this information available.
There are two ways to share the newly discovered research from the Vasa. One is through books. As the museum is rather anti-text, a book would allow someone a much deeper understanding of the Vasa and its international context. Hocker has written many books on the Vasa, one of which is a best-seller in its genre. However, Hocker added that by bestseller, he meant that it has sold 1,200 copies. An entire publication of a book like this would be 4,000. So even if every book of that publication were purchased, the readers would equal half the number of people who go to the museum on any given summer day. Because of this, Hocker believes the best way to share more information is to educate the guides.
At the Vasa Museum, the guides will talk to more people than will ever read what is written about the Vasa. A standard 25-minute tour is given every hour. However, the guides are strongly encouraged to do research and develop a tour on their own interests. Some examples are an architecture tour, where the guide teaches about the museum building's architecture, a preservation tour, a chemistry and science tour, and a shipbuilding/carpentry tour. People can also tour the magazine. Recently a queer tour was developed, where the guide discusses the gender roles on board the Vasa, since a woman's skeleton found in the Vasa appeared to have been wearing men's clothes. Hocker did a special tour based on the economies of Sweden and other countries in the 1620's for a group of visiting European bankers. By advertising these themed tours and also allowing people to request them, the Vasa Museum has a vehicle for letting visitors delve more deeply into a specific interest of theirs. This allows the guides and also others who work at the museum to share new research and to discuss more than the very basics of the exhibits. One thing Hocker stressed to me was that while they will make just about any type of tour, there is no on-board tour.
So Who Actually Gets to Step Foot on the Vasa?
Hocker said that there is tension at the Vasa Museum relating to allowing people on-board. Clearly, it is not feasible to have visitors to the Vasa board the ship. First of all, it would be difficult to be sure the ship remained preserved, as over a million people visit the museum annually. Also, there are just too many visitors to allow every person to walk through the ship. People would be lined up for hours. So while it would be a great experience for people to actually step onto the Vasa, it will never happen.
When being trained, the guides are brought onto the ship. While they are allowed to take pictures, they are not allowed to publish them online. That means no pictures on board the Vasa can be on Facebook. The museum finds it imperative that people do not come to the Vasa Museum with the assumption that visitors can board the ship. They are very careful to make sure that the public doesn't have that impression.
However, there are a few Very Important People who get the honor of going onto the Vasa. Hocker filled me in on which people can really board the ship. Heads of State, Nobel Prize winners, certain colleagues and students of maritime archaeology are allowed private tours on the Vasa. The king and his guests are always allowed on board. In fact, the island on which the Vasa Museum is built is the only island in Sweden where the king is still the absolute monarch. When they want to do any construction or expansion at the museum, they actually have to ask the king's permission. So of course the king has the right to board the ship. However, if a visiting monarch is there, the foreign king can board, but his heirs and his Prime Misister are not invited. Hocker said that they made an exception this past spring for Prince Charles, but as he is the head of the Mary Rose trust, he is sort of a colleague, too. Donors cannot buy the right to go onto the Vasa. However, sometimes they take potential donors on an on-board tour, in order to entice them to donate to the museum. It is a very exclusive group which is allowed onto the ship!
Final Thoughts
From my interview with Hocker, I not only learned a lot about the Vasa and their struggles to share their new research, but also about the issues one must consider when contemplating whether to raise a wreck. While the Vasa Museum makes it look like raising a shipwreck is a great way to bring underwater heritage to the masses, not every shipwreck is worth raising. Even the Vasa Museum, a very popular destination, struggles with portraying this specimen of underwater heritage and its contextual significance. However, no one can deny that the raised Vasa has made millions of people aware of and excited about shipwrecks.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Birka: Maritime Archaeology
Hello everyone,
Last week I had an amazing opportunity to go to Birka, an UNESCO world heritage site, to learn about the current maritime archaeology being done in the viking village's harbor. Not only did I learn a lot about the public archaeology program implemented by Sockholm's Maritime Museum, but I also got to help out at a real archaeology site, which was so fun. When I was researching Sweden for my project, the head of the archaeology unit for the Maritime Museum gave me the contact information for Nina Eklöf, who runs the Swedish part of the Shipwer Project (which I'll discuss below). When I reached out to Nina, she invited me to come to Birka at the end of August during their excavation. It was a wonderful two days on the island of Birka.
To get to Birka, I had to take a 2-hour ferry from the city hall pier in Stockholm. There is one boat trip every day, where visitors take the ferry out, stay on the island for three hours, and then take the boat back. There are no hotels or inns or places for tourists to stay on the island. The island, by the way, is called Björkö, but I'm just going to refer to it as well as the heritage site as Birka for simplicity's sake. Outside the buildings for the heritage site, Birka is mostly uninhabited. There is a village where about eight people live year-round and a handful of summer homes. Also, sailors can dock their boats to spend the night. But in general, visitors go to Birka for a day-trip. I, however, was invited to stay the night at the farmhouse where the archaeology unit was staying. Nina told me to tell the people on the boat that I was visiting her, and I could take the boat for free. It was kind of cool to be able to say, "I'm visiting Nina Eklöf" and to get a free ferry ride! (Later, at the museum shop, I got to say I was working down at the site, and I got the personnel discount! That was also exciting).
The ride out was lovely, although quite chilly above deck. The guide (who later gave the tours in Swedish and English on the island) gave some historical information on islands as we passed them. While I had already been to part of Lake Mälaren when visiting Julie's island, I was still struck by the beauty of the area. After staying mostly in the city for a few weeks, it was great to be out in nature again.
When I arrived at Birka, I had an hour and a half before the tour. Nina had told me to take the English tour and then go to the excavation site. The museum was small, but had a lot of interesting information on the viking times at Birka. There was even a video, where two young kids wandered around Birka and learned about the archaeological work being done on site today. Birka was a very important trading center during the viking era. Because of this, there are many items from all over the world found on site. While the village itself was relatively small, its role as a trading center makes Birka an extremely valuable window into the past.
What's nice about Birka is that after around 970 AD, the island was mostly uninhabited. Because of this, the viking-age finds are all the first layer beneath the surface. Nothing is covered up by newer ruins.
I took the tour up to some burial grounds near where the old village was. The guide explained that there are many types of burials on Birka. Some people are cremated, others are not. Some are buried in traditional viking mounds, others in mounds shaped like ships, and still others in buried boxes similar to coffins. The diversity of burial mounds shows that many different types of people were in Birka for trading. It also represents the changes of values and beliefs as Birka transitioned from a purely pagan to Christian-influenced society.
While excavations at Birka have been going on since the 1700's, there is still a lot of untouched ground. The guide explained that Birka is not only a historical site, but also could be considered a site on the history of archaeology. Archaeology has been in Birka's past for the last 300 years or so. Today, archaeologists believe it is important to leave some excavating to future archaeologists. This is partially because excavating takes a lot of time and money, but also because they recognize that future archaeologists might have better tools and technology to excavate. While a lot is left undisturbed underground, that which has been excavated is reverted back to its old look after the process is complete. For example, the guide pointed to a burial mound which had been excavated, and it looked no different from any other. As for the areas not yet excavated, archaeologists have done thorough geo-surveys of the historical site. They can learn a lot about what is under the surface without actually breaking ground. And in the future, people will know exactly where to dig!
During the tour I learned that Lake Mälaren is actually lowering. This means that the current island is substantially bigger than it was during the Viking Age. When Birka was an active trade center, the water was 5 meters higher than today.
After the tour, I wandered down to the viking harbor to meet Nina and learn about the maritime archaeology site. The harbor itself used to be surrounded by huge palisades to protect against enemy ships. While only part of the harbor is still underwater because of the water lowering, there's still a lot to find through maritime excavations.
Once I arrived, Nina showed me around the site and I met a few of the archaeologists. This excavation was being done through the Sjöhistoriska museet, which is the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. (Side-note: The Swedish National Maritime Museums consist of three museums: The Maritime Museum, the Vasa Museum, and another maritime museum in a different part of Sweden). This is the third year the Maritime Museum has been excavating at Birka. They work for three weeks in August on-site. The two years before then, they were here surveying. On site, Nina Eklöf is the public archaeology leader. There is also a field leader, Andreas Olsson, an assistant field leader, Jens Lindstrom, and many archaeologists who dive, sieve, record, and work on other parts of the site. Finally, there is Sanna Starke, a woman from the National Historical Museum, who archives the findings.
That first day I learned about how a maritime archaeology site functions. Out in the water, two divers in dry suits excavate together. They work in a square of space at a time, working down through various levels. The divers excavate in a trench they've created. The findings for each square and level section are put into big plastic boxes. While they are underwater, they can communicate with an archaeologist on the dock through a headset.
The boxes of findings are then brought up to the sieve area. Each section must be sieved through in order to find any fragments of animal bone, any wood which has been worked by hand, and any other finds like rope, fabric, or amber. Mostly there are chips of wood and pieces of rock to sift through. Any mud or clay can be washed off by pouring water over the sieve.
Once something is found, it is put to the side and cleaned off in water. All bones go into a plastic bag labeled with the square, the level, and 'Bones.' All other findings are also put into a bag and labeled "General findings." A little water is put into these bags, so the findings are not damaged after having been underwater since the 900's. These bags of unregistered findings are then put into bins in the big storage room. The leftover chips of wood and pieces of rock are thrown onto a tarp, so the sieve is free for more sieving.
Sanna takes the findings and archives them on her computer. She showed me how she labels them by number, where they were found, and any other important information. She also takes pictures of them with their categorization number below, for records.
From visiting the site, I learned all about what goes into running a maritime archaeology excavation.
Also on the site were sign-boards with pictures from last year's finds and this year's finds. Some blog posts from the archaeologists and some newspaper clippings were also there. In the last few days, a few articles had been written about the Birka excavations, so Nina said they'd add those to the signs soon. They purposefully did not have permanent signs, but rather wanted something simple which could be easily updated.
There was a trailer on site with a bathroom and some storage (I never went inside, so I'm not sure what else was there!) as well as two large shipping crates, one of which held the dive gear and equipment, and the other which held the findings. A tent was also erected, under which Sanna did her archiving.
After being shown around, I learned from one of the archaeologists how to sieve. I must admit, at first I was really nervous. I wasn't exactly sure for what I should be looking, and I didn't want to miss anything! I probably put more in the 'General findings' pile than necessary. But by the end of the day, I became comfortable knowing what was bone, what was a tooth, and what pieces of wood were shaped by humans. From sifting to labeling bags with my findings, I thought it was incredibly cool to 'play archaeologist' for the day. I mean, I got to hold an animal's tooth which has been underwater for over 1000 years. How cool is that?
That afternoon, someone had found a stake which was quite intact, and even had some paint on it! A few days before, some fabric had been found. When looking at it, I could even see where it had been sewn. I was really impressed by the findings at the site.
After the archaeologists finished for the night, we took the boat to the island's restaurant. On the way, we dropped off a few people on the island across the water, where they could get their cars and drive home for the night. The restaurant was closed, of course, since all the tourists left on the 2:30pm boat. The archaeology unit eats there every night for the 3 weeks they are on Birka. I enjoyed Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberry jam. I was hesitant to eat jam with meatballs, but as Jens said, that's what they serve at Ikea, so clearly it is the epitome of Swedish culture. I also learned that if meatballs are eaten with pasta instead of potatoes, the side is ketchup, not lingonberry jam. Interesting. During dinner we discussed saunas, mosquitoes, and the return of the US show Dallas. They were all excited about it coming back. I didn't want to bring up that I am too young to have watched the original.
To get to the farmhouse for the night, we had to take the boats around the island. On the way, I went with Jens and a Finnish archaeologist, Maya, to check out a potential wreck. Jens explained to me that another researcher had done a huge survey of the area using underwater sonar, and he had picked up some places where the bottom was uneven. Jens had been asked to check out some of these locations with his sonar to see what was underwater. While I had heard of underwater sonar before, it was great to see it in action. He lowered the 'fish' behind the boat, and on the screen I could see the lake-bed. We could see some large rocks and some schools of fish. When we got to the location, the uneven floor turned out to be a ledge, not a wreck. But with technology like this, someone could find lots of wrecks in Lake Mälaren. Of course, this would require a lot of time and patience, too.
We then went to the farmhouse for the night. Nina told me that this house has been used by many archaeology units over the decades. I got to stay in my own little room. With a pillow! (For those of you who don't know, I've been staying in an apartment that didn't come with bedding. So I bought a king-sized sheet and a pillowcase, and have been sleeping with the sheet folded over like a sleeping bag and my Wellesley sweatshirt folded inside a pillowcase as my pillow. So having a pillow was quite a luxury!)
I really appreciated that Nina invited me to stay the night, not only so that I'd have more time at the archaeology site, but also so I could spend some time with the archaeologists and see what it's like to live on site, even if only for a night.
The next morning, they all left to go to the site around 7am. The night before Nina told me there was no reason to go that early, and that I should show up around 11am. That gave me time in the morning to wander through the little village to the church. This church was built in honor of Ansgar, a missionary at Birka. It was built on the 1100 anniversary of his arrival.
I enjoyed wandering through the small village and through some fields of sheep. I ended up back near the museum, and I explored the reconstruction of the viking village and harbor. This is what they think the homes and boats would've looked like.
At this time it was around 10am, so there were no other tourists on the island. The ferry arrives at 11:30am every day. I walked up through the burial grounds to the large stone cross above Birka. This cross was built to honor Ansgar on the 1000 anniversary of his arrival. I sat up there and looked out over Birka. I really enjoyed being the only person at the site. I mean, how many people can explore a world heritage site with no one else around?
After eating my breakfast and enjoying the view a little longer, I meandered down to the harbor for my second day at the excavation.
I started my second day at the site by sieving through boxes from the old trench. The old trench was the trench from last year. However, some things have moved around and fallen to the bottom, so there are still a few boxes for this year which need sieving. I worked with a volunteer from the Maritime Museum who was on-site last year, too. I had lunch with the crew, and I got to see them discuss the diving schedule for that afternoon. Some people would be working in the trench, while others went out surveying other parts of the harbor.
After lunch we kept sieving, and that's when I found a piece of amber! I had already made a pile of bones and such, but I pulled out this circular piece, with a little indentation in the middle, and after washing it off I realized it was amber. A few of the archaeologists came over and they were excited, and of course, I was excited! How cool is it that while sieving, I found a piece of 1000-year-old amber. That was an amazing moment.
The Maritime Museum has a video blog for the excavation, and the piece of amber I found was featured in it! Check out this video, and sorry that it's not in English. In it, Sanna shares the recent findings at Birka. At 0:22, she talks about the amber piece! You can also see some other great finds from Birka, as well as someone sieving. Watch here: http://vimeo.com/48158859
I spent most of the rest of the afternoon talking to Sanna and Nina. I also saw an archaeologist sketching a log which had been discovered earlier.
That afternoon I learned more about archiving from Sanna. She explained that usually she would be doing this work back at the National Historical Museum. This was her first year on-site. It's all part of the public archaeology project, so that people can see all the different jobs on a maritime archaeology site. It also gives Sanna the opportunity to interact with the archaeologists and ask questions. She said she enjoys seeing from where these findings come, rather than handling them with no context back in the museum in Stockholm.
Sanna also explained that after the excavation is done, these findings will go to the Maritime Museum. The more exciting pieces will be kept there for an exhibition. They also must decide what to preserve, as the wood, rope, and other findings need some sort of preservation process after having been underwater for so long. Any other findings are sent to the National Historical Museum to be kept in storage. This is where all findings from any Swedish archaeology site end up.
I had a chance to discuss with Nina the Shipwer Project and its other components. The Shipwer Project is an Estonian and Swedish initiative on shipwreck history and heritage. It is composed of three institutions in Estonia and the Maritime Museum in Sweden. Nina said that in Estonia, the Shipwer Project is working on archiving their shipwrecks. In Sweden, they have a more comprehensive database of shipwrecks, although it is always expanding.
When I asked about what other programs she does with the Shipwer Project, Nina said she goes to elementary schools to teach children about maritime archaeology. One thing they do is teach the kids how to use a program that has archaeological sites archived. The kids can input their addresses and add Google Earth to see what types of sites are near their homes. This way, they can get excited about local heritage.
Of course, the maritime archaeology site at Birka is part of the Shipwer Project. This is considered a public archaeology site. Nina explained that for the on-land excavations during the 1990's, there was a fence between the archaeologists and the public. Visitors could lean over the fence to look down on the site, but they were clearly not a part of this. At the harbor excavation, the public can read about what's going on with the sign-boards, they can help sieve through the findings, and they can talk directly with the archaeologists. There's even a video showing what kinds of things the divers are doing underwater.
This site is extremely interactive, and visitors can see what goes on from the start (with the divers) to the finish (with Sanna's archiving for the museum). By not closing off the site, Nina and the other archaeologists invite the visitors to feel like they are part of the excavation. I certainly felt like that during my short time there.
By running educational programs and having these public sites, the Maritime Museum follows a philosophy of engaging the public in their research. I saw first-hand how visitors enjoyed sieving through the findings, talking to Nina about what was going on, and seeing from where these amazing artifacts come.
There are, of course, always difficulties in getting the public's interest. Nina has been working with the boat/tour company to try to get more visitors down to the site. But with only three hours on the island, it is hard for a visitor to spend much time at the archaeological site. They have been getting some good press through the news and newspapers, so hopefully each year they are there, more people will come out to the site.
I consider my visit to Birka the most memorable thing I've done in Sweden. Not only was finding that amber a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but spending two days with a working maritime archaeology unit was unbelievable. I think the concept of public archaeology is fascinating, and it seems like a great way to not only raise awareness of the underwater heritage at Birka, but to engage people in the process of collecting and preserving this heritage. The Shipwer Project is a great example of how Sweden values its underwater heritage not only in the realm of research and archiving, but as something which should be shared with and promoted to the society.
Last week I had an amazing opportunity to go to Birka, an UNESCO world heritage site, to learn about the current maritime archaeology being done in the viking village's harbor. Not only did I learn a lot about the public archaeology program implemented by Sockholm's Maritime Museum, but I also got to help out at a real archaeology site, which was so fun. When I was researching Sweden for my project, the head of the archaeology unit for the Maritime Museum gave me the contact information for Nina Eklöf, who runs the Swedish part of the Shipwer Project (which I'll discuss below). When I reached out to Nina, she invited me to come to Birka at the end of August during their excavation. It was a wonderful two days on the island of Birka.
Going to Birka
To get to Birka, I had to take a 2-hour ferry from the city hall pier in Stockholm. There is one boat trip every day, where visitors take the ferry out, stay on the island for three hours, and then take the boat back. There are no hotels or inns or places for tourists to stay on the island. The island, by the way, is called Björkö, but I'm just going to refer to it as well as the heritage site as Birka for simplicity's sake. Outside the buildings for the heritage site, Birka is mostly uninhabited. There is a village where about eight people live year-round and a handful of summer homes. Also, sailors can dock their boats to spend the night. But in general, visitors go to Birka for a day-trip. I, however, was invited to stay the night at the farmhouse where the archaeology unit was staying. Nina told me to tell the people on the boat that I was visiting her, and I could take the boat for free. It was kind of cool to be able to say, "I'm visiting Nina Eklöf" and to get a free ferry ride! (Later, at the museum shop, I got to say I was working down at the site, and I got the personnel discount! That was also exciting).
The ride out was lovely, although quite chilly above deck. The guide (who later gave the tours in Swedish and English on the island) gave some historical information on islands as we passed them. While I had already been to part of Lake Mälaren when visiting Julie's island, I was still struck by the beauty of the area. After staying mostly in the city for a few weeks, it was great to be out in nature again.
The Museum and Tour
When I arrived at Birka, I had an hour and a half before the tour. Nina had told me to take the English tour and then go to the excavation site. The museum was small, but had a lot of interesting information on the viking times at Birka. There was even a video, where two young kids wandered around Birka and learned about the archaeological work being done on site today. Birka was a very important trading center during the viking era. Because of this, there are many items from all over the world found on site. While the village itself was relatively small, its role as a trading center makes Birka an extremely valuable window into the past.
What's nice about Birka is that after around 970 AD, the island was mostly uninhabited. Because of this, the viking-age finds are all the first layer beneath the surface. Nothing is covered up by newer ruins.
I took the tour up to some burial grounds near where the old village was. The guide explained that there are many types of burials on Birka. Some people are cremated, others are not. Some are buried in traditional viking mounds, others in mounds shaped like ships, and still others in buried boxes similar to coffins. The diversity of burial mounds shows that many different types of people were in Birka for trading. It also represents the changes of values and beliefs as Birka transitioned from a purely pagan to Christian-influenced society.
 |
| Hill of viking burial mounds |
 |
| A viking burial mound |
While excavations at Birka have been going on since the 1700's, there is still a lot of untouched ground. The guide explained that Birka is not only a historical site, but also could be considered a site on the history of archaeology. Archaeology has been in Birka's past for the last 300 years or so. Today, archaeologists believe it is important to leave some excavating to future archaeologists. This is partially because excavating takes a lot of time and money, but also because they recognize that future archaeologists might have better tools and technology to excavate. While a lot is left undisturbed underground, that which has been excavated is reverted back to its old look after the process is complete. For example, the guide pointed to a burial mound which had been excavated, and it looked no different from any other. As for the areas not yet excavated, archaeologists have done thorough geo-surveys of the historical site. They can learn a lot about what is under the surface without actually breaking ground. And in the future, people will know exactly where to dig!
During the tour I learned that Lake Mälaren is actually lowering. This means that the current island is substantially bigger than it was during the Viking Age. When Birka was an active trade center, the water was 5 meters higher than today.
 |
| Looking from the heritage site towards the village |
 |
| Hill where old walls of village were |
After the tour, I wandered down to the viking harbor to meet Nina and learn about the maritime archaeology site. The harbor itself used to be surrounded by huge palisades to protect against enemy ships. While only part of the harbor is still underwater because of the water lowering, there's still a lot to find through maritime excavations.
 |
| Looking down at harbor excavations |
Maritime Archaeology Site
Once I arrived, Nina showed me around the site and I met a few of the archaeologists. This excavation was being done through the Sjöhistoriska museet, which is the Maritime Museum in Stockholm. (Side-note: The Swedish National Maritime Museums consist of three museums: The Maritime Museum, the Vasa Museum, and another maritime museum in a different part of Sweden). This is the third year the Maritime Museum has been excavating at Birka. They work for three weeks in August on-site. The two years before then, they were here surveying. On site, Nina Eklöf is the public archaeology leader. There is also a field leader, Andreas Olsson, an assistant field leader, Jens Lindstrom, and many archaeologists who dive, sieve, record, and work on other parts of the site. Finally, there is Sanna Starke, a woman from the National Historical Museum, who archives the findings.
That first day I learned about how a maritime archaeology site functions. Out in the water, two divers in dry suits excavate together. They work in a square of space at a time, working down through various levels. The divers excavate in a trench they've created. The findings for each square and level section are put into big plastic boxes. While they are underwater, they can communicate with an archaeologist on the dock through a headset.
 |
| Dive site is beyond the dock |
 |
| Headset lets archaeologist on land communicate with divers underwater |
 |
| Diver getting reading to go underwater |
 |
| Diver getting out of water |
The boxes of findings are then brought up to the sieve area. Each section must be sieved through in order to find any fragments of animal bone, any wood which has been worked by hand, and any other finds like rope, fabric, or amber. Mostly there are chips of wood and pieces of rock to sift through. Any mud or clay can be washed off by pouring water over the sieve.
 |
| Sieves |
 |
| Sieves (with bin on the side) |
 |
| Sieving |
Once something is found, it is put to the side and cleaned off in water. All bones go into a plastic bag labeled with the square, the level, and 'Bones.' All other findings are also put into a bag and labeled "General findings." A little water is put into these bags, so the findings are not damaged after having been underwater since the 900's. These bags of unregistered findings are then put into bins in the big storage room. The leftover chips of wood and pieces of rock are thrown onto a tarp, so the sieve is free for more sieving.
 |
| Bones that I sieved out |
 |
| Me, sieving in action on Day 2! |
 |
| The general findings and bones bins |
Sanna takes the findings and archives them on her computer. She showed me how she labels them by number, where they were found, and any other important information. She also takes pictures of them with their categorization number below, for records.
 |
| Sanna's field station |
 |
| Textile and its number categorization |
 |
| Findings on display for the public |
 |
| A recent finding on display for visitors |
From visiting the site, I learned all about what goes into running a maritime archaeology excavation.
Also on the site were sign-boards with pictures from last year's finds and this year's finds. Some blog posts from the archaeologists and some newspaper clippings were also there. In the last few days, a few articles had been written about the Birka excavations, so Nina said they'd add those to the signs soon. They purposefully did not have permanent signs, but rather wanted something simple which could be easily updated.
 |
| Sign-boards |
There was a trailer on site with a bathroom and some storage (I never went inside, so I'm not sure what else was there!) as well as two large shipping crates, one of which held the dive gear and equipment, and the other which held the findings. A tent was also erected, under which Sanna did her archiving.
 |
| The trailer |
 |
| Shipping crate for dive gear |
 |
| Shipping crate for findings, trailer, and tent for archiving |
My Time at the Site: Day 1
After being shown around, I learned from one of the archaeologists how to sieve. I must admit, at first I was really nervous. I wasn't exactly sure for what I should be looking, and I didn't want to miss anything! I probably put more in the 'General findings' pile than necessary. But by the end of the day, I became comfortable knowing what was bone, what was a tooth, and what pieces of wood were shaped by humans. From sifting to labeling bags with my findings, I thought it was incredibly cool to 'play archaeologist' for the day. I mean, I got to hold an animal's tooth which has been underwater for over 1000 years. How cool is that?
That afternoon, someone had found a stake which was quite intact, and even had some paint on it! A few days before, some fabric had been found. When looking at it, I could even see where it had been sewn. I was really impressed by the findings at the site.
My Night on Birka
After the archaeologists finished for the night, we took the boat to the island's restaurant. On the way, we dropped off a few people on the island across the water, where they could get their cars and drive home for the night. The restaurant was closed, of course, since all the tourists left on the 2:30pm boat. The archaeology unit eats there every night for the 3 weeks they are on Birka. I enjoyed Swedish meatballs with potatoes and lingonberry jam. I was hesitant to eat jam with meatballs, but as Jens said, that's what they serve at Ikea, so clearly it is the epitome of Swedish culture. I also learned that if meatballs are eaten with pasta instead of potatoes, the side is ketchup, not lingonberry jam. Interesting. During dinner we discussed saunas, mosquitoes, and the return of the US show Dallas. They were all excited about it coming back. I didn't want to bring up that I am too young to have watched the original.
To get to the farmhouse for the night, we had to take the boats around the island. On the way, I went with Jens and a Finnish archaeologist, Maya, to check out a potential wreck. Jens explained to me that another researcher had done a huge survey of the area using underwater sonar, and he had picked up some places where the bottom was uneven. Jens had been asked to check out some of these locations with his sonar to see what was underwater. While I had heard of underwater sonar before, it was great to see it in action. He lowered the 'fish' behind the boat, and on the screen I could see the lake-bed. We could see some large rocks and some schools of fish. When we got to the location, the uneven floor turned out to be a ledge, not a wreck. But with technology like this, someone could find lots of wrecks in Lake Mälaren. Of course, this would require a lot of time and patience, too.
 |
| Sonar |
We then went to the farmhouse for the night. Nina told me that this house has been used by many archaeology units over the decades. I got to stay in my own little room. With a pillow! (For those of you who don't know, I've been staying in an apartment that didn't come with bedding. So I bought a king-sized sheet and a pillowcase, and have been sleeping with the sheet folded over like a sleeping bag and my Wellesley sweatshirt folded inside a pillowcase as my pillow. So having a pillow was quite a luxury!)
I really appreciated that Nina invited me to stay the night, not only so that I'd have more time at the archaeology site, but also so I could spend some time with the archaeologists and see what it's like to live on site, even if only for a night.
Morning on Birka
The next morning, they all left to go to the site around 7am. The night before Nina told me there was no reason to go that early, and that I should show up around 11am. That gave me time in the morning to wander through the little village to the church. This church was built in honor of Ansgar, a missionary at Birka. It was built on the 1100 anniversary of his arrival.
 |
| Church |
 |
| Church |
 |
| Historic Site, as seen when walking through village |
I enjoyed wandering through the small village and through some fields of sheep. I ended up back near the museum, and I explored the reconstruction of the viking village and harbor. This is what they think the homes and boats would've looked like.
 |
| Reconstructed Viking homes |
 |
| Reconstructed viking boats |
At this time it was around 10am, so there were no other tourists on the island. The ferry arrives at 11:30am every day. I walked up through the burial grounds to the large stone cross above Birka. This cross was built to honor Ansgar on the 1000 anniversary of his arrival. I sat up there and looked out over Birka. I really enjoyed being the only person at the site. I mean, how many people can explore a world heritage site with no one else around?
 |
| The Cross up at the site |
 |
| Looking down on the village from the site |
 |
| Looking out at the lake from the cross |
 |
| The cross |
 |
| Looking down on Birka from the cross |
 |
| View of the lake from the cross |
 |
| Looking back up at the cross from the historical site |
After eating my breakfast and enjoying the view a little longer, I meandered down to the harbor for my second day at the excavation.
My Time at the Site: Day 2
I started my second day at the site by sieving through boxes from the old trench. The old trench was the trench from last year. However, some things have moved around and fallen to the bottom, so there are still a few boxes for this year which need sieving. I worked with a volunteer from the Maritime Museum who was on-site last year, too. I had lunch with the crew, and I got to see them discuss the diving schedule for that afternoon. Some people would be working in the trench, while others went out surveying other parts of the harbor.
After lunch we kept sieving, and that's when I found a piece of amber! I had already made a pile of bones and such, but I pulled out this circular piece, with a little indentation in the middle, and after washing it off I realized it was amber. A few of the archaeologists came over and they were excited, and of course, I was excited! How cool is it that while sieving, I found a piece of 1000-year-old amber. That was an amazing moment.
 |
| Where I found the amber |
 |
| Me holding the amber |
 |
| Me and the 1000-year-old amber! |
 |
| Labeled Amber |
The Maritime Museum has a video blog for the excavation, and the piece of amber I found was featured in it! Check out this video, and sorry that it's not in English. In it, Sanna shares the recent findings at Birka. At 0:22, she talks about the amber piece! You can also see some other great finds from Birka, as well as someone sieving. Watch here: http://vimeo.com/48158859
I spent most of the rest of the afternoon talking to Sanna and Nina. I also saw an archaeologist sketching a log which had been discovered earlier.
 |
| Sketching a log from the harbor |
Archiving Process
That afternoon I learned more about archiving from Sanna. She explained that usually she would be doing this work back at the National Historical Museum. This was her first year on-site. It's all part of the public archaeology project, so that people can see all the different jobs on a maritime archaeology site. It also gives Sanna the opportunity to interact with the archaeologists and ask questions. She said she enjoys seeing from where these findings come, rather than handling them with no context back in the museum in Stockholm.
Sanna also explained that after the excavation is done, these findings will go to the Maritime Museum. The more exciting pieces will be kept there for an exhibition. They also must decide what to preserve, as the wood, rope, and other findings need some sort of preservation process after having been underwater for so long. Any other findings are sent to the National Historical Museum to be kept in storage. This is where all findings from any Swedish archaeology site end up.
Shipwer Project and Public Maritime Archaeology
I had a chance to discuss with Nina the Shipwer Project and its other components. The Shipwer Project is an Estonian and Swedish initiative on shipwreck history and heritage. It is composed of three institutions in Estonia and the Maritime Museum in Sweden. Nina said that in Estonia, the Shipwer Project is working on archiving their shipwrecks. In Sweden, they have a more comprehensive database of shipwrecks, although it is always expanding.
When I asked about what other programs she does with the Shipwer Project, Nina said she goes to elementary schools to teach children about maritime archaeology. One thing they do is teach the kids how to use a program that has archaeological sites archived. The kids can input their addresses and add Google Earth to see what types of sites are near their homes. This way, they can get excited about local heritage.
Of course, the maritime archaeology site at Birka is part of the Shipwer Project. This is considered a public archaeology site. Nina explained that for the on-land excavations during the 1990's, there was a fence between the archaeologists and the public. Visitors could lean over the fence to look down on the site, but they were clearly not a part of this. At the harbor excavation, the public can read about what's going on with the sign-boards, they can help sieve through the findings, and they can talk directly with the archaeologists. There's even a video showing what kinds of things the divers are doing underwater.
 |
| Video of archaeologists working underwater (Sorry for the glare) |
This site is extremely interactive, and visitors can see what goes on from the start (with the divers) to the finish (with Sanna's archiving for the museum). By not closing off the site, Nina and the other archaeologists invite the visitors to feel like they are part of the excavation. I certainly felt like that during my short time there.
By running educational programs and having these public sites, the Maritime Museum follows a philosophy of engaging the public in their research. I saw first-hand how visitors enjoyed sieving through the findings, talking to Nina about what was going on, and seeing from where these amazing artifacts come.
 |
| Some visitors sieving at the archaeological site |
There are, of course, always difficulties in getting the public's interest. Nina has been working with the boat/tour company to try to get more visitors down to the site. But with only three hours on the island, it is hard for a visitor to spend much time at the archaeological site. They have been getting some good press through the news and newspapers, so hopefully each year they are there, more people will come out to the site.
Final Thoughts
I consider my visit to Birka the most memorable thing I've done in Sweden. Not only was finding that amber a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but spending two days with a working maritime archaeology unit was unbelievable. I think the concept of public archaeology is fascinating, and it seems like a great way to not only raise awareness of the underwater heritage at Birka, but to engage people in the process of collecting and preserving this heritage. The Shipwer Project is a great example of how Sweden values its underwater heritage not only in the realm of research and archiving, but as something which should be shared with and promoted to the society.
 |
| The Public Maritime Archaeology Site |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)