I’m an archaeologist with a fascination for science fiction. I have watched with excitement as technology has taken my own field far deeper than I could ever dive, even with advanced rebreathers or saturation.
As one of few archaeologists who has deployed in submersibles to visit and document wrecks well beyond the range of diving, I’ve seen that aspect of exploration and work on the sites fade as remotely operated vehicles and the concept of satellite-assisted telepresence now dominates what we do on deep wrecks.
I’m a fan of this approach and the use of the technology because it opens what we do to other archaeologists, historians, and scientists, while also allowing us to share our experiences with the interested public.
MAPPING OPPORTUNITY
Without taking sides in a philosophical debate on the role of humans versus machines in the work that we do, especially as the future of technology—and by future, I mean as soon as within the next decade—is likely going to complete the detailed mapping of the seabed.
It will find answers to questions about the origins and nature of life on this planet locked in the deep ocean, as well as profound evidence of humanity’s interaction with the global ocean as represented by lost ships, some of them far deeper than we have previously explored. We are finding shipwrecks at an almost weekly pace now.
Much of the quest will be based on economic goals, as it is now, for offshore rare earth minerals, oil and gas, and safe routes for deep sea telecommunications cables. As we explore, I argue, as an archaeologist whose root science is based in anthropology, that we cannot lose the human connection—but rather than argue for the past, I want to argue for the future.
LESSONS OF THE PAST
It is our endeavors as people that define who we are, such as our inquisitiveness as well as our desire for acquisition. As we find lost ships like the recently discovered wreck of the WWII destroyer USS Edsall that speak to past heroism, even in the face of sure death, we find reminders of not only the costs of war but of the heroism we are capable of. We also see, often in well-preserved circumstances in that vast undersea museum and graveyard, of the costs of conflict.
As we navigate a future into the deep, we can use the lessons of the past to help guide us. But we can use the process of ocean exploration to inspire us.
While our robotic eyes turn to the Cosmos and oceans, let us not forget the need for human eyes. Let us keep a human hand in exploration and not solely focus on the technology.
We need heroes, and many of mine are the young women and men who explore that deep frontier. Fascinated as I am with ghosts in the machine, our future depends on inspiring younger and not-yet born generations to explore, learn and protect as we also seek to survive and prosper.
This feature appeared in ON&T Magazine’s 2025 Special Edition, The Future of Ocean Technology, Vol. 5, to read more access the magazine here.
