George Bass: Father of Underwater Archaeology

In this installment of ‘Profiles in History,’ we meet an English major who becomes arguably the most important pioneer in underwater archaeology.

The bow of a shipwreck off the coast of Euboea, Greece, in 2016. Public Domain

Bass was born in Columbia, South Carolina, to literature-loving parents. His father, Robert, was a professor of English literature at the University of South Carolina, and would later become a professor of the same at the United States Naval Academy, Furman University, Limestone College, and Erskine College, and a renowned scholar of the American Revolution. His mother, Virginia, was a published author of poetry and fiction. Indeed, George Bass’s career in literature seemed inevitable. But several other familial influences may have left a lasting impression on him that resulted in his pursuit of underwater archaeology.