The Next Scientific Frontier

In my opinion the next major scientific frontier should be robotic undersea archeology. 

The recent two hundredth anniversary of the death of Napoleon is a reminder that it was his conquests that brought the pyramids and ancient Egypt into the modern consciousness. Archeology in the Middle East has since focused on tombs with occasional entire ancient cities being rediscovered.

But what might the next step be? Ships have been sinking for thousands of years. There is sometimes underwater archeology of a shipwreck. Coastlines have also changed since ancient times and there is exploration of undersea ruins, particularly at Alexandria.

Compared with archeological sites on land exploration of sites on the seafloor would, of course, be very difficult. But what about the robotic technology used in space exploration? 

Exploring the ocean depths has a lot in common with exploring outer space, and can use the same type of technology. I am sure that we know quite a bit more about what is out in our Solar System than the sea depths of our own planet. 

The main focus of a detailed exploration of the seafloor would be shipwrecks. These shipwrecks become buried over time, just as do archeological sites on land, but the sites can be identified and excavated. But it will be much more difficult than on land and will require an effort that parallels the robotic exploration of space, and will use much of the same technology.

Archeological excavations on land tend to be undertaken by universities and museums. The fabulous uncovering of the entire ancient city of Ur was a joint project of the British Museum and the University of Pennsylvania. But detailed undersea exploration and archeology will require an organization on the order of NASA.

Much of the technology used in space exploration could readily be adapted for undersea exploration. The oceans have been explored, but only on a large scale and not on the local scale required for undersea archeology. Underwater archeology is certainly not a new idea but is almost always limited to shallow waters or large and famous ships.

By adapting the technology used in space exploration to explore the seafloor we could not only move archeology to it's next level, but would solve all manner of other mysteries. It is time to begin the archeological move from tombs to ships.