Underwater archaeology is a field of study that searches for and identifies underwater ruins or relics to better understand history and culture of human civilization. As underwater archaeology takes place underwater, it significantly differs with land archaeology in terms of observation environment and method.

Today, underwater archaeology is finally finding its place as a field of study. The term has come to encompass all forms of underwater archeology: underwater, maritime, marine, deepwater, submarine, nautical, and ship archaeology.

Underwater relics can be found under water as they remain intact within sunken ships or due to changes in geology or climate. Well known examples include the Port Royal relics of Jamaica in the Caribbean Sea, and Apollonia of Libya.

It is a key characteristic of ancient sunken ships found under the sea that they remain almost in their original form. The state of near-perfect preservation is due to the pressure and oxygen-free nature of the sea bottom. The most famous underwater relic in Korea is a dugout assumed to be from 8,000 years ago found at a Neolithic Age ruins excavation site in Bibong-ri, Bugok-myeon, Changnyeong-gun, South Gyeongsang Province.