Celia Prescott-Decie- University of Southampton- PhD-2022
I am a second-year PhD student at the University of Southampton, supported by the Honor Frost Foundation. My current research aims to assess the impact of coastal change on Lebanese maritime archaeology, through a geophysical and hydrodynamic characterisation of the Lebanese coast. My research so far has focused on producing an integrated classification of the Lebanese coast which includes both archaeological, geomorphological, and hydrodynamic criteria. I previously completed a master’s degree in Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton, also with the support of the Honor Frost Foundation.
I first became involved in archaeology through an interest in ancient languages, teaching myself Latin and Attic Greek in high school. I majored in English Literature with a minor in Archaeology at the American University of Beirut (AUB) with the hopes of developing this interest by focusing on ancient texts and participated in seasons of fieldwork at sites in Chekka and Baalbek. Through courses at AUB, I learned of the work that the Honor Frost Foundation was doing to develop the discipline of maritime archaeology in Lebanon. I wanted to be a part of that work, and so applied for the Foundation’s master’s scholarship.
During my time at the University of Southampton, I have broadened my knowledge of the discipline of maritime archaeology both in general and Levantine contexts. The opportunity to study at Southampton has allowed me to gain qualifications in open water diving and practical skills in sediment analysis, as well as GIS, MATLAB, and Python for geospatial analysis, seabed characterisation and working with hydrodynamic data. I have also supervised fieldwork at sites such as Avebury in Wiltshire. Moreover, I have had the opportunity to present my research at several academic conferences such as the THALASSA Conference in Cyprus (May 2024), the Maritime Archaeology Graduate Symposium (MAGS) in Cyprus (March 2023), the Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA) Conference in Edinburgh (November 2023) and Canterbury (November 2024, forthcoming), and to organize a session of talks on submerged landscapes at the Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference (TAG) in Bournemouth (December 2024, forthcoming).
As I continue to develop my research and practical skills at Southampton during this second year of my PhD, it is my hope that I will be able to contribute to the important work that the Honor Frost Foundation is doing to further the development of the field of maritime archaeology in Lebanon. Specifically, as my research interests involve Lebanese coastal and submerged archaeology and the production of risk and vulnerability assessments, I hope to be involved in fieldwork in Lebanon and the protection of its valued heritage.
Abstract of my master’s dissertation:
GIS cost surface analysis has become the standard method for modelling past mobility. The most popular form of cost surface analysis is least-cost path analysis, which uses cost surfaces to chart single optimal paths between a set source and destination point. The limitations of least-cost path analysis are well-documented, and novel methods for modelling maritime mobility have been proposed to address them. The aim of this research is to apply one such method, circuit theory analysis, to the modelling of ancient seafaring over the Roman Levantine basin. More specifically, the purpose of this dissertation is to first apply circuit theory analysis to an original archaeological context and compare the results of this method to those of least-cost path analysis. Cost surfaces are prepared using wind data and representing the cost of sailing from the Roman coastal site of Berytus to destination points in Cyprus, Anatolia, Egypt and the Northern and Southern Levantine coastlines for the months of April, July, October, and January, and then used to produce least-cost paths and current maps depicting maritime mobility across the Levantine basin. By modelling several potential pathways, current maps represent connectivity as occurring in fluid zones rather than over strictly defined routes. The ‘blurriness’ of current maps means they are more capable of addressing common difficulties in modelling maritime mobility. However, least-cost paths and current maps react differently to differing weather conditions throughout the year, with the former showing far more variation in sailing routes. The implications of this research are then that the real strength of these methods is their use in complement. By continuing to apply new methods of modelling human-environment interaction in original contexts, and by setting them against more popular ones with known limitations, the newer methods are refined; their specific strengths and weaknesses identified so that their methodology can be continually adapted. Comparing methods of analysis forces the archaeologist to examine their biases when confronted with results that do not match, and thus understandings of connectivity in the past are further expanded.
My research so far has focused on an integrated classification of the Lebanese coast, including archaeological, geomorphological, and hydrodynamic criteria. This academic year specifically, I have been working with simulated hydrodynamic (storm surge and wave) data available through the open-source Coastal Dataset for the Evaluation of Climate Impact (CoDEC) dataset, towards a detailed hydrodynamic characterisation of the Lebanese coast.
I gained my BSAC Ocean Diver qualification during my master’s year at Southampton with Solent University Sub-Aqua Club. I have now switched over to Southampton University Sub-Aqua Club and will have completed my Sport Diver qualification by the end of the current semester. I hope to continue on to working towards my Dive Leader qualification with the club next year.
I have completed training in sediment analysis at NOCS (National Oceanography Centre at Southampton). I have also audited a module there on seafloor exploration and surveying (SOES6024), through which I gained the necessary skills to process and interpret marine geophysical data (bathymetry, side scan sonar, and sub-bottom data) using GIS, CARIS, SonarWiz, and Petrel. At NOCS, I am currently auditing ‘Coastal Sediment Dynamics’ (SOES3014) to gain more of a physical foundation in coastal sediment dynamics, which will be useful towards my research on the impacts of coastal change (flooding and erosion exacerbated by sea level change) on maritime archaeology along the Lebanese coast.
