Supporting and promoting underwater archaeology through computer vision and graphics

The essential mission of an archeologist can be synthesized in two main objectives. The first one concerns the entire system of experimental measurements and subsequent decision making procedures involved in the archaeological fieldwork process. These actions are usually based on the employment of engineering methods and technical tools that enable the implementation of site searching, mapping and documentation collecting tasks. On the other hand, once the fieldwork has been accomplished, the archaeologist main goal becomes the development of specific actions dedicated to the site preservation and prevention from illicit intrusion events and finally, to the dissemination of the gathered knowledge to increase people awareness about cultural heritage. The mentioned issues constitute the primary concerns for every institution involved in the safeguard and promotion of cultural heritage. This is true for on land and for underwater archeology as well. This paper focuses on issues related to the underwater archeology scenario, a circumstance that deserves an in-depth discussion since the intrinsic threats for human safety as well as the complex working conditions pose challenging issues to the archaeological mission. Nevertheless the huge patrimony of wrecks and man made artifacts lying all over the globe sea floors must be preserved in that it represents a collective community asset.