Iron and Steamship Archaeology

In the early 1980s the author was asked to investigate the newly discovered wreck of the Xantho, an iron screw steamship active off the Australian coast during the period 1848 to 1872, and to develop a strategy to stop the looting that was occurring at the site. This relatively straightforward assignment turned into a long-term research program for applying maritime archaeology to the conservation of iron-hulled wrecks.

Xantho and Broadhurst in context.- Xantho-The transformations.- The wreck examined.- Site formation processes.- The investigation continues in the archives.- Excavations at the site.- Excavation in the laboratory.- Conclusion.