Our Mission
Many approaches to seafaring
Seafaring has been a topic of discussion among practitioners and researchers for a long time. They have explored topics like maritime travel, ocean resources, and the role of human-ocean interaction in past communities. With the advance of computational analysis, this conversation has expanded to include computer methods that redraw movement through maritime spaces. These methods provide a unique view of possible seafaring routes and marine environments of the near and distant past.
By examining these hypothetical routes, researchers can gain a better understanding of past sailing and settlement of islands, advancements in sailing technology or boat construction, and the navigation skills and knowledge required. This information contributes to discussions of maritime cultural heritage and aligns with the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which aims to “change humanity's relationship with the ocean.”
The CAST community is a group of anthropological archaeologists, environmental scientists, and maritime practitioners who come together to study computational archaeology methods and seafaring theory. We regularly hold meetings between a global network of scholars and practitioners to discuss cutting-edge work and how to integrate important lessons from ocean science and traditional environmental knowledge to serve communities better.
A network of collaboration
This collaborative network includes individuals who have built their own systems or are a part of modeling or understanding past seafaring, resulting in widely different approaches to research. While this makes our views and methods diverse, it has created in separations where historically people have undertaken this work in isolation.
CAST presents the first opportunity to connect these researchers and practitioners, as well as to champion collaborative and inclusive approaches to understanding past seafaring. The community works to amplify the voices of early career scholars, Indigenous scholars, and those working with Indigenous and local communities to facilitate a rich exchange of ideas and a more inclusive future.