George Bass died earlier this month at the age of 88. He was an American archaeologist, often referred to as the “father of underwater archeology”. He co-directed the first expedition to entirely excavate an ancient shipwreck at Cape Gelidonya in 1960 and founded the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in 1972.

As noted by the New York Times, Professor Bass led or co-directed archaeological efforts around the world, including in the United States, but he focused on the coast of Turkey — for thousands of years a maritime trade route for a succession of civilizations, from the ancient Canaanites to the early Byzantine Empire.

The oldest submerged shipwreck he excavated lay near the southern Turkish peninsula known as Uluburun. The wreck, most likely the remains of a royal vessel could be dated to within a few years of 1,300 B.C., the end of the Bronze Age and the era of the Trojan War and King Tut. It carried an opulent cargo — items like hippopotamus ivory, a golden scarab bearing Queen Nefertiti’s name (the only one ever found), and what is believed to be the oldest wooden writing tablet ever discovered.

Professor Bass wrote that the Uluburun ship cast new light “on the histories of literacy, trade, ideas, metallurgy, metrology, art, music, religion, and international relations, as well as for fields as diverse as Homeric studies and Egyptology.”

On learning of his death, UNESCO issued a statement, which reads in part:

Every domain, every field has its pioneers, those who were among the first to take the steps that seem so natural to us today. For the field of underwater archaeology, George Bass was such a forerunner. Known as the father of underwater archaeology, he was one of the persons who laid the foundations for international standards that are today at the core of the 2001 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.

“We deeply regret the passing of George Bass, a leader in the protection of underwater cultural heritage,” said Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant-Director General for Culture of UNESCO. “He was one of the earliest practitioners of underwater archaeology and the international heritage community owes him a debt of gratitude for his work, mentorship and friendship.”

Professor Bass is survived by his sons, Gordon and Alan; by his wife, Ann; and two grandchildren.

Thanks to Alaric Bond and Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.