The excavation team

Following the very first campaign in 1999, the Natière site has been the subject of three successive three-year programmes (2000 to 2002, 2003 to 2005 and 2006 to 2008), which were approved by the Commission des Opérations Sous-Marines of the Ministry of Culture's National Council for Archaeological Research. Since 1996, the excavation project has been jointly led by Michel L’Hour and Élisabeth Veyrat (DRASSM). The Association for the Development of Maritime Archaeological Research (Adramar) acted as the archaeological contractor.
Each year, the excavation team brought together some fifteen underwater archaeological specialists, professionals from the DRASSM, staff recruited by Adramar, researchers from scientific laboratories and foreign institutions. A number of volunteers were also involved, bringing the total team members to between 30 and 55 each year (including between 27 and 44 divers).
Over ten years, the project registered 11,212 person-days (out of 689 campaign days) and 5,925 hours of work underwater.
Operational decisions were made by a three-person team, consisting of Michel L’Hour, Denis Metzger and Élisabeth Veyrat (DRASSM). However, the sheer size of the project meant that there was a strict division of responsibilities between the various specialists present. Like the long-ago sailors they were studying – who doubled as cobblers, coopers, carpenters, etc. aboard ship – the permanent team members strove, year after year, to develop their archaeological know-how by adding special skills. In addition to their tireless archaeological efforts in the field, they specialised in cataloguing, casting, databases, video, identification of wood species, reconstruction, external relations, etc., all of which benefited the project.