There are two types of underwater archaeology: maritime and nautical. Maritime has to do with submerged structures and settlements. This often incorporates different harbor works - such as the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Nautical focuses more on shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are interesting because they are essentially time capsules from the time in which they sank, typically unexpectedly. There is an interest in all different types of ships: famous ships, military vessesls, and trade to name a few. The Uluburun Shipwreck, off the coast of Turkey is a good example of nautical archaeology. This cargo ship has produced an abundance of information about Bronze Age trade. The ability to scuba-dive is essential for underwater archaeology. Different problems need to be dealt with in Underwater Archaeology like logistics of diving, legalities of territory, and high costs.

There is much to be learned from the food eaten by ancient people. Archaeologists study both floral (plant) remains and faunal (animal) remains. Changes in their eating indicated changes in lifestyles. For instance, more grain and meat from domesticated animals indicates sedentary living and farming. Archaeologists can learn about “last meals” (short term diet) from the stomachs of individuals or their feces (coprolites for the specifics of what they were eating. They can also look at long term diet by the wear on the teeth and indicators on bones. Sometimes the food itself is even preserved - such is the loaf of bread from Pompeii, Italy (preserved by volcanic ash)or due to dry climate such as at Karanis, Egypt.