The NEREAS project is an interdisciplinary research project in which the application of modern engineering tools leads to new scientific knowledge in maritime archeology. Ships are structures whose behavior due to the action of different loads can be predicted by computer simulations, using the finite element method. But the application of such tools in maritime archeology is very limited. The NEREAS project seeks to capitalize on the experience of an international team in an effort to focus on a range of research questions and clearly demonstrate the scientific justification and importance of applying modern engineering methods in the analysis of marine structures and past events.