The Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology

• SolMAP
• Western SolMAP
• Eastern SolMAP

SolMAP

SolMAP is short for Solent Marine Archaeology Project. Each year the HWTMA runs diving projects involving volunteer and professional divers.

Individuals and groups come together to work on sites within the Solent. The mix of professional diving archaeologists and keen volunteers means that knowledge and skills can be passed on to volunteers in a highly practical environment. The work undertaken is adding to knowledge of the maritime archaeology of the Solent region and furthering the HWTMA research objectives.

SolMAP volunteers at their base on Hurst Spit

Divers, and non-divers gain the chance to participate in maritime archaeological fieldwork and research on a variety of sites.

Sites and tasks have included survey and excavation of the Alum Bay wreck, drift diving and detailed survey of submerged landscapes, a chance to dive the Needles Protected Wreck Site, wreck searches and anomaly investigation in the Eastern Solent.

On land there is work for the non-divers, recording artefacts raised from the seabed and surveying inter-tidal sites.

So whatever your interest, be it archaeology, photography, drawing or just plain curiosity, there is something for everyone.