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Underwater Archaeology of a Pacific Battlefield: The WWII Battle of Saipan . Jennifer F. McKinnon and Toni L. Carrell, eds. New York: Springer, 2016, 161 pp. $54.95, paper. ISBN 978-3-319-16678-0.

2017; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 73; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1086/690549

2153-3806

Hans Konrad Van Tilburg,

Maritime and Coastal Archaeology

Previous articleNext article FreeBook ReviewsUnderwater Archaeology of a Pacific Battlefield: The WWII Battle of Saipan. Jennifer F. McKinnon and Toni L. Carrell, eds. New York: Springer, 2016, 161 pp. $54.95, paper. ISBN 978-3-319-16678-0.Hans K. Van TilburgHans K. Van TilburgNOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Search for more articles by this author NOAA Office of National Marine SanctuariesPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreMany archaeologists are increasingly aware of the greater cultural and political implications of their research, of interpreting the past not in a void, but among those still present, survivors who maintain their own legacy. In Underwater Archaeology of a Pacific Battlefield, editor/authors Jennifer F. McKinnon and Toni L. Carrell accomplish two main things: they describe a four-year “conflict archaeology” project that is surveying and interpreting the ships, landing craft, submerged planes, and pillboxes along Saipan’s west coast, and they position that research in the context of contemporary heritage studies, finding island voices in the multicultural remembrance of elements beyond the battle.Surveys of WWII resources have been conducted in the past, for tourism—particularly diving tourism—plays a crucial role in the economics of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). This Saipan project, led by the nonprofit organization “Ships of Exploration and Discovery” and Flinders University and East Carolina University, was initiated in 2009 by the Historic Preservation Office in order to both promote tourism and increase the protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) resources. The field survey was, therefore, deliberately enhanced by incorporating training opportunities, engaging multiple stakeholders, creating a nine-site heritage trail along with underwater guides, project website, and the completion of the film WWII Maritime Heritage Trail: Battle of Saipan. These collaborative efforts and focus on local perspectives are hallmarks of the best approaches practiced by maritime heritage managers today.The inventory and interpretation of 24 ship, landing craft, and aircraft sites within Tanapag and Garapan lagoons are described in chapters covering the background history of the battle (Genevieve Cabrera), the remote sensing and diver survey (Jason M. Burns and Michael C. Krivor), and an in-situ conservation survey by the Western Australia Museum (Vicki Richards and Jonathan Carpenter), a virtual mini-primer in materials deterioration and site formation processes. Three specific chapters offer detailed analysis of the sunken aircraft (Samantha Bell), amphibious assault vehicles (W. Shawn Arnold), and M4 Sherman tanks (Matthew Hanks), the selected air-sea-land components of the amphibious campaign in the Pacific. Funded in part by the National Park Service’s battlefield protection program, interpretation includes the KOKOA terrain analysis of the landing beach landscape. Additional contributions examine the shoreline infrastructure (C. Rachel Katz), and the biological character of these “vessel reefs” within the marine ecosystem (Ashley M. Fowler and David J. Booth). Maritime archaeologists should be well familiar with the multidisciplinary approach to tangible resources.The other more intangible, but equally important elements of the project, such as the nature of conflict archaeology, the effectiveness of film in public engagement, collaborative management, and the function of UCH heritage monuments (the discussion on the behavior of divers and land tourists at Saipan’s heritage sites is particularly fascinating), only emerge in other chapters, so there is some unavoidable disconnection between topics in this collection. Wrapping these widely ranging offerings into a single package is no small task, as there is considerable conceptual ground to cover between, for instance, technical Pourbaix diagrams and the benefits of 3-D filmmaking, or between field armor modifications on landing vehicles and the nature of UCH heritage monuments. Some questions simply go unanswered, such as “What is the actual wreck diving contribution to Saipan’s heritage economy?” and “How do you actually know if this engagement model actually does enhance preservation?” In the end, though (the central theme is not explicitly stated until p. 147), McKinnon and Carrell make a strong statement: the true subject of the Saipan project is a focus on the human element, and the legacy of the battle in the post-WWII world. The character of the Saipan project is directed to this more holistic end; Pacific Islander perspectives are considered, the memories of the Chamorro and Carolinian residents are given voice in the film, and the value the community places on its heritage today is included.When visitors describe Pacific islands as paradise, they ignore some of the realities of island life and invoke a specific preexisting narrative, a pleasurable but ultimately limiting pastime. In a similar fashion, limiting archaeology to just the preexisting national narratives of military forces on remote shores omits the reality of civilians and the home front, the heritage of survivors, and the changing legacy of what the historic conflict means today. The Saipan project described in this work addresses these missing voices and evolving perspectives on heritage preservation, and in this way challenges maritime archaeologists to evolve themselves. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 73, Number 1Spring 2017 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/690549 © 2017 by The University of New Mexico. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.