Written by archaeologists and other scientists who have made the discoveries, the encyclopedia's entries describe sites around the world and across time: prehistoric American Indian settlements; submerged Bronze and Iron Age settlements; sunken Phoenician, Greek, and Roman cities and harbors; Viking ship burials; ancient warships and merchant craft in the Mediterranean; warships sunk during atomic bomb tests; and much more. Detailed entries also cover new fields of research in underwater and maritime archaeology, the techniques and tools used by underwater archaeologists, ethical issues and the relevant legislation that has been passed, and important institutions and individuals. Overview articles examine work in broader regional, national, and scientific contexts.

Extensively illustrated and easy to read, cross-indexed, and written by an international team of experts, the Encyclopedia of Underwater and Maritime Archaeology will be the standard reference work on the subject for years to come.