Annual Conference

2019 Conference - Wooden Walls and Stone Bastions

Ship and ordnance remains on land and under the sea

The Nautical Archaeology Society and the Ordnance Society are excited to be co-hosting a two-day conference examining how ship and ordnance remains found on land and under the sea help our understanding of our maritime past.

To be held in Portsmouth on 16th-17th November 2019 in partnership with The Ordnance Society

Call for Papers will open on the 10th May 2019. Sponsorship packages available - Please contact the NAS Office.

2018 NAS Conference - Building a Future for Our Maritime Past

Our 2018 conference was held at The Riverfront venue in Newport, Wales in partnership with the Friends of the Newport Ship on the 17th-18th November 2018.

The conference presented research in nautical and maritime archaeology, specifically exploring the theme of how current projects exploring our maritime past are helping to secure it for the future. The 2018 conference also hosted the 2018 Adopt a Wreck Award, the Honor Frost Foundation IJNA Open Access Prize as well as the first MSDS Marine Awards. On the Saturday evening we also hosted a dinner at the Coldra Court Hotel, featuring guest speaker, Dr Mark Redknap from the National Museum of Wales.

Five of the 2018 conference presentations were broadcast live on the NAS Facebook page and can now be viewed on the NAS YouTube Channel.

The 2018 conference was generously supported by Dive Master Insurance, RCAHMW, MSDS Marine, Historic England, Go-Dive, The British Sub-Aqua Club, The Sub-Aqua Assocition, Motorpoint, 3Deep Media and Associated British Ports.

Previous NAS Conferences

2017 Conference Discovery Is Just The Beginning - was held in Portsmouth

2016 Conference was held in Glasgow in partnership with the SCAPE Trust

2015 Conference was held in Portsmouth in partnership with the Society for Post Medieval Archaeology

2014 Conference was held in London in partnership with the Thames Discovery Programme, MOLA

2013 Conference was held in Portsmouth

Future NAS Conferences

2020 Conference will be held in Dublin (Date TBC) in partnership with the CHERISH Project and The Irish Underwater Council

Latest

East India Company Incidents

The object of this research by NAS Fellow, Ed Cumming, has been to identify and, if possible, to give extra detail to total loss incidents incurred by the major ships of the English (later British) East India Company, 1600 to 1834. Discover more here.......
Heritage Lottery Funding Boost

The UK’s nautical heritage is under constant threat from the ravages of nature as well as human impact. The NAS' objective is to advance education and awareness of nautical and maritime archaeological heritage so that it can be saved for future generations. Discover more here.....
Society News

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Write for us

We encourage our members from around the world to write articles for submission to the NAS — we publish these Members' Stories on our website and are distributed through our social-media channels. Most articles are published ‘open access’, making this a way for you to communicate your activities to a truly global public.

Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved with us and with nautical archaeology.....
NAS UK Qualifications

There are three qualifications that NAS members in the UK can work through as they develop their archaeological skills. Members progress through these qualifications by earning credits by participating in courses, events and fieldwork. Find out more here.
ELearning

You can begin your archaeological training from the comfort of your own home with our ELearning Programme. There are three courses available and each is made up of a series of lessons which include images, videos and examples to demonstrate the information. Find out more here.
Adopt a Wreck Award

Every year the NAS awards the Adopt a Wreck Award to the person or group who has made the most significant contribution to archaeology and researched through the Adopt a Wreck scheme. Applications normally close in October with the award being given at the NAS Annual Conference in November.
Dive Club

NASAC is a volunteer run archaeological dive club affiliated to the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) and is run by NAS members for NAS members. Our purpose is to provide project-based archaeological diving opportunities for NAS members.
Skills Days

Learn practical archaeology skills. Our Recorder and Surveyor Skills Days are a great place to start and take place on land or underwater. Get in the field with our Recorder Day and learn how to record a site through sketching, photography and video, then on the Surveyor Day learn how to complete a 2D survey of a site and how to use a planning frame to produce a scale drawing. Find out more here.......
Maritime Archaeology Courses

Learn specialist skills in particular areas. Anyone can take these courses and members can gain 5 credits/day toward a qualification if they wish. There are no prerequisites for these courses unless noted in the course documentation. Find out more here.....
Heritage Events

We run behind-the-scenes tours of museums, historic vessels and places of maritime interest for our members.
Dive Trails

The NAS has helped establish diver trails around the UK to facilitate access to the country’s protected wrecks. Some include virtual dives that help non-divers experience the pleasure of exploring a historic wreck. Discover more here.
Protected Wreck Days

Every year we take qualified divers on an extraordinary experience visiting and learning about some of the UK's amazing protected wrecks. Read more to find out where we go and what we do........

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology is a forum for the exchange of ideas and research relevant to all aspects of nautical and maritime archaeology. Learn more here.
Join Us

Indulge your passion for nautical archaeology, and help us explore, preserve and record the world’s intertidal and underwater heritage for future generations.
ELearning

You can begin your archaeological training from the comfort of your own home with our ELearning Programme. There are three courses available and each is made up of a series of lessons which include images, videos and examples to demonstrate the information. Find out more here.
Annual Conference

With presentations from both professional and amateur archaeologists, the NAS Annual Conference is an opportunity for the NAS community to exchange news and ideas—about the latest research, member activities, and access to our shared heritage. It’s a chance to network with friends and colleagues from the UK and elsewhere. Find out more about this year’s event here.......
Staff

The NAS employs a small core team of dedicated people at our head office in Portsmouth, UK The team manage the day to day running of the charity and are often found travelling around the world for courses, fieldschools, conferences and meetings.
International Training Partners

For over 20 years we have be proud to have International Training Partners that teach our courses all around the world. They adapt our core syllabus to their own particular needs and deliver courses using their own preferred sites and facilities. Find out more here.
Intensive NAS course in Mexico City

NAS tutor Dr Jorge M. Herrera ran a two-week NAS course at the National University (UNAM) in Mexico City. Learn more here!
Vice Presidents

The NAS is fortunate to have the support of Vice Presidents that bring years of knowledge and experience of the heritage sectors. Our Vice Presidents come from archaeological academia, museum services, advocacy and oceanography.
Our Mission

Our mission is to research, record and protect underwater and coastal heritage for the benefit of everyone.
Dive Club

NASAC is a volunteer run archaeological dive club affiliated to the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) and is run by NAS members for NAS members. Our purpose is to provide project-based archaeological diving opportunities for NAS members.

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Join Us

Indulge your passion for nautical archaeology, and help us explore, preserve and record the world’s intertidal and underwater heritage for future generations. Read more

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology Webinar Series

IJNA Webinar No.1: Registrations are now open for the first live IJNA Webinar that will take place on Wednesday 23rd January at 10.00 (London), 11.00 (Paris), 19.00 (Tokyo) and 21.00 (Sydney) on "The Archaeology of World War Battleships". Discover more here...... Read more