Data Collection for a Virtual Museum on the Underwater Survey at Kas, Turkey

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The Underwater Archaeological Survey Project at Kas¸, on the Lycian coast of Turkey, has emerged from a need to document, research and preserve underwater sites in the area surrounding the town of Kas¸. This region has stood out in recent decades as a centre of underwater tourism, enabling countless divers with a wide range of interests and backgrounds to explore the coastal depths of the Mediterranean around this popular town. Rising numbers of recreational divers and increased underwater access to sites of potential historical and archaeological significance has generated an aspiration for their contribution to and participation in a variety of underwater survey projects. Our project has emerged with the intention of bridging this gap between trained specialists and divers by identifying the underwater cultural heritage for future protection and dissemination

Submarine and coastal karstic groundwater discharges along the Southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey

A 120 km-long part of the southwestern coast of Turkey, with well-developed karst terrain in contact with the sea, has been investigated by systematic diving surveys to determine the submarine groundwater discharges (SGDs). The physical, chemical and isotopic data have been used to determine the rate of the fresh groundwater end member (FEM) and its temporal dynamics. About 150 SGDs have been detected by diving surveys employed mostly up to a depth of 30 m below sea level (bsl). Among those, 15 SGDs are in the form of coastal or submarine caves with entrances ranging between sea surface and 40 m bsl. The FEM contribution in SGDs ranges from a few percent to more than 80%. Stable isotope data suggest a range of mean recharge area elevations extending from the coast to more than 1,000 m inland. In many of the SGDs, the FEMs are characterized by tritium-based residence times ranging from recent to several decades. Hypothetical geochemical calculations of mixing between freshwater and seawater end members reveal that more than 45% of freshwater contribution is required for karst development in the SGDs. Models suggest a threshold pH of 7.6 or lower for the carbonate rock dissolution. © 2010 Springer-Verlag

Web-based Information System for Virtual Museum of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Turkey

This paper presents a developed web-based information system using the data collected during underwater surveys conducted on the coastal region of Turkey. Divers from a variety of professional backgrounds collected data by keeping the archaeological artifacts in their original context. By collecting visual, geographical and descriptive data using structured datasheets, the artifacts are transferred into the digital domain. Through the analysis of these methods, an information system is developed aiming for the contribution of all interested parties in a collaborative manner. Combined with Google Maps, the database illustrates the initial technological steps towards the development of a virtual museum