History of the Centre for Underwater Archaeology
The history of the Centre for Underwater Archaeology dates back to the late 1970s, when two young researchers at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Gerard Wilke and Andrzej Kola, decided to embark on a new research direction. However, for this ambitious plan to succeed, they first had to learn the intricacies of this specialised field of underwater research.
In their quest for experience, they joined a project led by George Bass, the father of underwater archaeology. There, they learned how such research is conducted by the most experienced team in the world. Upon returning to Poland, they joined underwater research efforts undertaken by the Maritime Museum in Gdańsk, where they became members of the team working on the wreck of the “Miedziowiec“.
Once the two researchers had gained sufficient experience, they began training a new generation and building the necessary team. As a result, by the late 1970s, the first archaeology students at Nicolaus Copernicus University were already receiving training in underwater archaeology. Consequently, the university became Poland’s oldest centre for educating underwater archaeologists.
Soon after, the team’s existence was formalised through the creation of the Pracownia Archeologii Podwodnej (Underwater Archaeology Laboratory), which was later transformed into the Zakład Archeologii Podwodnej (Department of Underwater Archaeology) as part of structural changes. The department’s first head was Gerard Wilke, who Andrzej Kola later succeeded. Kola led the team until 2010, after which Andrzej Pydyn took over and held it until 2019.
Following a university-wide reorganisation in 2019, the departments were dissolved. In response, Andrzej Pydyn established the Centre for Underwater Archaeology within the structure of the Faculty of History at Nicolaus Copernicus University. This unit aimed to preserve four decades of the university’s underwater archaeology tradition and continue research under a well-recognised brand.
As a result, the Centre for Underwater Archaeology is one of Poland’s oldest institutions involved in underwater archaeology alongside the team from the National Maritime Museum. Moreover, it is unquestionably the oldest and most active centre for training underwater archaeologists in the country.
Team
Andrzej Pydyn Assoc. Prof. – is the Centre’s director, an underwater archaeologist with many years of experience, a diving instructor, a commercial diver, and a supervisor of underwater operations. His research interests focus primarily on European archaeology, the prehistory of navigation, and the early Middle Ages.
Mateusz Popek PhD – Underwater archaeologist, commercial diver/supervisor, and scuba diving instructor with over a decade of experience. A specialist in advanced underwater documentation techniques. He has worked at the submerged Andes, Guatemala, Ukraine, and Spain sites. Outside of work, he is a cave diver exploring alpine-type caves. His research interests include the underwater archaeology of the Baltic Sea and Latin American cultures.
Konrad Lewek MA – PhD candidate and archaeologist with many years of field experience. He is particularly interested in early medieval archaeology. He developed his archaeological skills through numerous United Kingdom and Caucasus projects. His doctoral research focuses on Ostrów Lednicki.
Szymon Mosakowski MA – Phd candidate. Despite his young age, he has already worked on projects in the Baltic Sea and Turkey. He is certified as a diving instructor and a professional diver. His interests are mainly centred on Mediterranean shipwrecks and galleons.
Marta Piotrowska BA – Master’s student in archaeology and president of the Akademickie Koło Badań Podwodnych (Academic Underwater Research Club). She combines her passion for underwater archaeology with artistic talent and an interest in social media. She is actively involved in the Centre’s projects. All indications point to her becoming a future specialist in GIS and photogrammetry.
Our partners
The center is a full member of UNESCO’s UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology.
This gives access to exchange experiences with dozens of partners from different countries.
One of our partners is the International Center for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar.
In Poland, the main partner of the Center for Underwater Archaeology of the Nicolaus Copernicus University is the Museum of the First Piasts on Lednica, with which we implement a research project on Lake Lednica.
Cooperation with the Biskupin Archaeological Museum has been ongoing since 2020 and has resulted in a project to study Biskupin-type settlements.
In addition, CUA is working with the University of Adelaide (Australia) and the National Maritime Museum in Poland.