George Bass, known to many in the dive community as the “Father of Marine Archaeology,” passed away this week at the age of 88.
Bass was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Founder of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University.
According to his university biography:
“Since 1960, he has conducted shipwreck excavations and underwater surveys primarily off the Turkish coast. He obtained an MA in Near Eastern Archaeology from the Johns Hopkins University in 1955, followed by two years at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Greece, and two years in the U.S. Army. In 1964 he received a doctorate in Classical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania where he remained as a faculty member until he became founder of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) in 1973. This institute became affiliated with Texas A&M University in 1976. He has written and edited twelve books and over a hundred articles, five of which are featured in National Geographic. He has been awarded the Archaeological Institute of America’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement, Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, National Geographic Society La Gorce Gold Medal Award, National Geographic Society Centennial Award, and the J.C. Harrington Medal from The Society for Historical Archaeology. He has also been awarded honorary doctorates by Bogazici University in Istanbul and the University of Liverpool. In 2002, President George W. Bush presented him with the National Medal of Science.”
"It is with sadness that we receive the news of the passing of Prof. Bass. He has left behind an inspirational legacy that touched so many of us. On behalf of ICUCH, we extend our sincerest condolences to his family." C.Underwood, President, ICUCH, https://t.co/pE7oRSsSlQ
— ICOMOS-ICUCH (@IIcuch) March 3, 2021
