Michael Arbuthnot

Michael Alexander Arbuthnot (born 9 June 1974) is an archaeologist, instructor and archaeological filmmaker.

Michael A. Arbuthnot received his bachelor's degree in Philosophy and minor in Anthropology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1996. He holds a master's degree in Anthropology from Florida State University. He specialized in underwater archaeology and graduated magna cum laude.

Arbuthnot is an active member in many professional organizations, including: the Registry of Professional Archaeologists (RPA); the Florida Archaeological Council (FAC); the Southeastern Archaeological Conference (SEAC); the Florida Anthropological Society (FAS); the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS); and the St. Augustine Archaeological Association (SAAA).

In addition to being the author of many published articles and papers, Arbuthnot is considered an authority on submerged prehistoric sites. He focused his thesis on paleo-environmental change and the impact it has on archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico.

Arbuthnot's research has been presented at many conferences, including the Society for American Archaeology, the Northeast Florida Symposium on Underwater Archaeology, the annual meeting of the Florida Anthropological Society, and the Southeastern Archaeological Conference. The results of his research in the Caribbean are now exhibited at the George Town Museum on Grand Cayman Island.

Michael Arbuthnot is currently a faculty member at Flagler College, located in historic downtown St. Augustine, Florida. There, he teaches his students about the fascinating world of archaeology, which included a field expedition to the RMS Titanic. He hopes to set aside the boring impression people have of archaeology, saying, “People have this idea of archaeologists sitting there with a brush and a toothpick, but it can be exciting.”

Arbuthnot's trip to the Titanic took him 12,600 feet below the ocean's surface. James Cameron, the producer, writer, and director of the movie “Titanic” recruited Arbuthnot in 2005 to work on the first systematic archeological survey of Titanic's internal bow structure. Findings from this survey were shown in the Discovery Channel special “Last Mysteries of the Titanic” and will exhibited as part of the Titanic Legacy Database Project presently in development with the non-profit digital historic preservation organization, CyArk.

Arbuthnot founded Team Atlantis Productions in 1996. The name, of course, is a play on the mythical underwater city of Atlantis. Arbuthnot defines Team Atlantis, saying, “TA is a multi-disciplinary outfit whose mission is to explore archeological mysteries with an emphasis on those enigmas associated with underwater contexts.” Because underwater archeological sites usually have some connection with sites on land, Team Atlantis is not restricted to only underwater locations.