Recycling ships. Maritime archaeology of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Suomenlinna

The study site is the underwater seascape of the 18th-century fortress islands of Suomenlinna (Sveaborg) in the harbour of Helsinki, Finland. The site is located in the Gulf of Finland, in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea. The fortress has global significance as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.This study had its origin in the insight that a ship's hull, while comprised of numerous individual artifacts, could be treated as one object from the viewpoint of archaeological research. From that premise, it followed that the study of the ship as an artefact can be continued through processes of reuse. This change in approach allowed evaluating the reuse of ships in a different way than the traditional concept of recycling, which involves demolishing and cannibalizing all the material of the vessel.This study states that the hull can also be recycled intact to serve the contemporary community. Accordingly, it is called recycling rather than simple reuse, since it involves a change in the function of the hull.The activities of different periods have left footprints in the underwater seascape, which create a basis for interpretations of a maritime cultural landscape. The author used maritime archaeological field methods to collect data throughout the 80-hectare water area around Suomenlinna. This archaeological record has not been analysed earlier. For this study, an interpretation tool was developed for unidentified shipwrecks, especially for data produced in surveys.The three primary aims of this study are raising awareness of the possibilities of maritime archaeological studies, broadening the concept of recycling, and increasing the appreciation of old and poorly preserved wrecks. In addition, this study reveals recycling processes undertaken on some of the first vessels of the Swedish Army Fleet, and the locations of the last wooden sailing warships of the Russian Baltic Fleet.Maritime archaeology should be challenged to apply its methods and perspectives to address contemporary global concerns and the well-being of our waters, as well as ourselves