Whaling in the European Arctic 1600-1900 – technological innovation and adaptation
This talk will give a brief overview of the technological developments that characterize the first European oil age – Arctic whaling in the period 1600-1900. From coastal land-based activities in the beginning, whaling ships soon had to move offshore and operate in the ice. This transition led to technological adaptation and innovation to mitigate risk and ensure effective production. Our current understanding of this development is mainly based on contemporary written accounts and a few archaeological investigations on Svalbard. Several hundred shipwrecks from this period rests on the seabed, potentially holding answers to all the numerous questions that could fill the gaps in our knowledge of this important part of European history. So far, only a few marine archaeological efforts have been made to locate and investigate this underwater cultural heritage. The talk will present some of these efforts and demonstrate how underwater robotics are essential for such work in the high Arctic.