Maritime Archaeology on the HMT Bedfordshire

Home , Brooke rifle, Fishing trawler, HMT Bedfordshire, Lifeboat (shipboard), USS Monitor

JANUARY tem to tern 2010 A Newsletter for our Maritime Studies Alumni and Friends v o l u m e 26 pS r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e sS e a s t c a r o l i n a university g r e e n v i l l e n c Maritime Archaeology on the HMT Bedfordshire . . . story on page 19

2 From the Editorial Staff / Director 4 Maritimers on the Road: Conferences 2009 7 Theses Defended in 2009 9 From MA to PhD 10 Program in Maritime Studes Welcomes New Conservator 10 Sail Niagara 11 Investigating the Colonial Port of Sunbury, Georgia 12 Appreciating the Rhythms of Currituck 12 The Bluefields Bay Archaeological Investigation 13 Summer Field School in the Pee Dee River 15 Fall Field School at the Bowling Farm Site 16 Maritimers Carry on Vasa Connection with New Theses 17 Summer recording on the Vasa 18 Way Down Yonder: Spring Break on the Chattahoochee 19 Preserving the Memory of the Battle of the Atlantic 20 The Wright’s Creek Abandoned Vessel Complex 21 Wawona Sails into History 22 PAST Foundation 22 Awards and Recognition 23 MSA Activities 23 Underwater Hockey 24 Ahoy Mates! Welcome to ECU 25 Where are our Maritimers now? 27 North Carolina’s Largest Ship Graveyard o n e s J e n n i f e r : J p h o t o Read about the exciting Fall Field School in the Cashie River on page 15. tem to tern S. . . a newsletter of East CarolinaS University’s Program in Maritime Studies Core Faculty: Lawrence E. Babits, PhD, Director Susanne Grieve, MA, Coordinator, “Shipwrecks and wharves and leeches, oh my!” Conservation Lab Lynn B. Harris, PhD

Nathan Richards, PhD Benjamin Siegel and Kate Schnitzer take direction from Dr. Lynn Harris. p h o t o : Th e r e s a Hi c k s Bradley A. Rodgers, PhD, Director, Conservation Lab David J. Stewart, PhD FromFrom the the Editorial Editorial Staff: Staff: Contributing Faculty: 2009—what an exciting time to be an ECU Maritimer! This past year has proven to be as Wade Dudley, PhD interesting as ever, with educational opportunities that have truly run the gamut. Building upon Michael A. Palmer, PhD valuable classroom experiences that included building model ships and developing individual Carl E. Swanson, PhD research designs, students were well prepared for challenging summer and fall field schools. Staff Archaeologist: From zero-visibility diving to recovering Confederate cannon shells to recording a mysterious, Calvin Mires black-water shipwreck, these projects developed skills that will remain with participants wher- ever their careers take them. Office Manager: It does indeed look like ECU graduates will continue to be the ones to watch in the field Karen Underwood of maritime archaeology in coming years. Our Maritimers are engaged in exciting, on-the- ground thesis research in such diverse locales as Sweden, Jamaica, Georgia, and of course, North Editor: Carolina. Over the past year, students have represented the Program admirably with individual Stephanie Gandulla presentations at nine different conferences! Co-Editor: With another incoming class of enthusiastic and dedicated scholars, it is exciting to look Amanda Switzer forward and imagine what we can accomplish. The Program in Maritime Studies doesn’t neces- sarily specialize in a specific time period or geographical area but rather, in its students’ success. Published annually by the Program in This is clear with the breadth of the staff and faculty’s knowledge and the curriculum’s variety. Maritime Studies, East Carolina University. Collective experiences have contributed to solid professional development and memories to last Readers are encouraged to submit informa- a lifetime. Just check out the latest “Where Are They Now”... Maritimers past and present are tion and news to the editor. Any suggestions engaged in exciting endeavors all over the world. or comments should be directed to the edi- – Stephanie Gandulla tor. We look forward to hearing from you. If you would like to receive a free sub- More than projects and ships and research and conferences, Stem to Stern, and this program, scription to Stem to Stern, please telephone is about people. People coming together to talk and learn, people coming together to argue, and 252-328-6097, fax 252-328-6754, or write: people coming together to support others. One of the best things so far about working on Stem to Stern and at the Maritime Program is the instant feeling of community. No matter what else Stem to Stern Program in Maritime Studies happens in life, no matter where our careers take us, no matter who we end up being years down Admiral Ernest M. Eller House the line, that community, that support for our dreams and hopes remains. This newsletter is a East Carolina University product of that community, a way for everyone to remain connected. Greenville, NC 27858-4353 – Amanda Switzer Please visit the ECU Maritime Studies Web site at www.ecu.edu/maritime for additional news and information about the FromFrom our our Director: Director: program. A digital copy of this newsletter can be viewed on line at http://www.ecu. The new year began with a busy week as the entire Maritime Staff and over 20 students edu/maritime/publications went to Toronto for the Society for Historical Archaeology meetings. Between students, alumni, and faculty, we presented about two dozen papers and there were over three dozen ECU folk ON OUR COVER: Dr. Nathan Richards measures wreckage on the HMT Bedfordshire. there. There were numerous archaeological high points, including seeing several students pre- Photo: Brett Seymour, NPS Submerged Rescources Center. Inset: Dr. David Stewart and Stephanie Gandulla survey Vasa’s lower senting their first papers and being well received. gundeck. A comment about our alumni should be made here. During the SHA’s, I asked several peo- 1,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $3,655.48 or $2.436 per copy. ASC-000924 (11/09) ple if we could download power point presentations. This was never refused, in part, because

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 224 Stem to Stern • our alumni have done very well, and often was somewhat unexpected as she had been As the new school year began, we wel- contributed to the project being reported. recovering from an earlier illness and do- comed many new faces as the students in Their skilled work and reputation provided ing well. As with all such rites of passage, the class of 2009 began studies. We met access to materials that will be used to in- the memorial was a sad and happy affair. A many of them at the Welcome Aboard so- struct the next generation. The ECU alumni number of alumni attended the funeral and cial the first Friday of school work. The reputation was particularly noted in deal- paid their respects and we all caught up on gathering was highlighted by presenting ing with Parks Canada and the Hamilton/ what we’d been doing. Easels full of pictures Vice Chancellor Mageean and Dean White Scourge project. showed Bill and Mildred over their life his- with framed Bermuda $50.00 bills that fea- Shortly after returning, the Coastal- tories, including one of a young Bill taken ture the Western Ledge Wreck site. Maritime Council voted to endorse and while he was on active duty with the Navy. The Fall 2009 field school was close to support the concept of an ECU Maritime In late February, we hired Susanne home and very successful. It turned out to Heritage Campus. At the same meeting, Grieve as Conservator after a search of be an early dock filled with ballast debris they also voted Lyz Wyllie a fellowship some months, involving interviews in as well as a ship. A number of unused gun- to study Pitt and Edgecombe courthouse Canada and by telephone. Susanne formally flints and some very curious green glazed records for mill, dam, bridge and road re- came on board, having survived the North slipware ceramics came from this site. As cords. Even though the budget crisis cut Carolina budget crisis, in August but had I write this, there are field drawings and a those funds, her research will help us better been in constant touch since March. Since composite being assembled for inking in the understand the Old Sparta Vessel and its late July, she has settled into a new home seminar room. Theresa Hicks is writing it Tar River context. and begun reorganizing the Conservation up as her thesis. Before the winter ended, it was clear the Lab. As the fall progressed, she began deal- There were many conferences. country was in the throes of a financial cri- ing with potential contracts and grants, Although our attendance was down, we did sis. By mid-March, everything was being cut suggesting ideas for the lab, and providing have a presence and renewed old friend- back and available money was being swept input about courses and field schools. ships. Several students won awards for their up. Fortunately, we had spent most of our The summer 2009 field school on the presentations. The Department of Interior budget and encumbered what remained. Pee Dee River was interesting. The students recognized the World War II project study- Still, the crisis had a major impact on all survived high, fast floodwaters and got a ing the U-Boat attacks on American ship- sorts of Maritimer activity, especially travel different type of field school experience ping. Nathan Richards, John Wagner and and equipment purchases. History had to than usually occurs. Some information was Joe Hoyt (2008) were prime contributors let some faculty go temporarily as the cuts learned about ship yards and what they to this research effort. went deeper and deeper in the budget and contain. A study of Confederate naval artil- The year was also busy with meetings then ran over into the 2009-2010 academic lery projectiles also came out of the project about the maritime Program’s future. These year. A side effect has been that we are seek- which was funded by the Drs. Bruce and covered three tracks, the Maritime Heritage ing far more outside support than before Lee Foundation through the South Carolina Campus, the proposed doctoral program, and writing student support into grants and Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. and upgrading Conservation Lab facilities contracts. Several papers have been accepted for pre- and operations. As this issue goes to press, The budget crisis has impacted Stem to sentation at SHA and at least two theses are the Maritime Heritage Campus has moved Stern. You will notice that only the cover is coming out of this field school. into the University levels for additional in color. That concession is not a step back, Dave Stewart took another group to the discussion and approval to continue its but a budgetary holding action. We have Vasa where they recorded the lower gun consideration. The request for planning the included an envelope with this issue. We ask deck using techniques developed on the doctoral program was passing through the that if you want to continue receiving Stem beakhead. Several students are now working Department of History into higher reaches to Stern, you send the envelope back and let on Vasa-related theses. We all owe Dave and as well. Susanne Grieve has reorganized us know. It is pre-addressed and pre-paid. Fred Hocker our thanks for allowing us to the lab and Brad will be teaching Advanced All you have to do is insert a card with your help record this world heritage site. Conservation in the spring. name and address (and tell us about your We were again successful in obtaining What else? It’s been a busy year that current position). We have to cull the mail- North Carolina Sea Grant funding for stu- has gone by faster than anyone realized. ing list, another financial step. If you want to dent projects. Lindsay Smith and Theresa Underwater hockey is back in business. Our send a donation to support the program, a Hicks were both heartened to receive fund- planning for the next year shows tremen- specific project, or Stem to Stern, please feel ing for their thesis topics. They go into de- dous variety in place and topic, especially as free to do so. We truly are strapped for oper- tail about their field work in this issue. They our work relates to research. We also hope ating monies. are continuing our successful relationship to resurrect our commitment to crewing the In early February, Mildred Still, wife with Sea Grant support of student research US Brig Niagara and continuing the Vasa’s of our founder, Bill Still, passed away. It in eastern North Carolina. documentation. g – Larry Babits If you would like to continue receiving Stem to Stern, please send in the enclosed pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope and let us know. All you have to do is insert a card with your name, address, and current professional position. If you want to send a donation to support the program, a specific project, or Stem to Stern, please feel free to do so. p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s -Thank you 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 253 MaritimersMaritimers on the onRoad: the 2009 Road:Conferences SHA Co n f e r e n c e - papers. Many Maritimers took part in the fo- rum Underwater Archaeological Research and Strong ECU presence Ephemeral Ties with the Local Community, sponsored by the Advisory Council on at Society for Historical Underwater Archaeology, where they Archaeology Conference learned techniques for communicating with the public and creating successful public In early January, Maritime faculty and programs. Several ECU students also volun- students traveled to Toronto, Ontario, for teered their time at the conference, assisting i t s b the Society for Historical Archaeology’s a with presentation technology or managing B nd 42 Annual Conference on Historical a r r y

the registration desk. Meanwhile, students : L and Underwater Archaeology. The theme and faculty spent most evenings wandering p h o t o for 2009 was The Ties that Divide: Trade, through the snow to visit local restaurants Joyce Steinmetz presents her research on the Miss Betty J. Conflict & Borders. Several ECU faculty and and pubs. students presented on current research. – Jessica Smeeks shallow Confederate waters of Pamlico and Dr. Larry Babits presented research on the Albemarle Sounds, the USS Ostego hit two Dan and Roanoke Rivers as a battlefield. mines in the Roanoke River in December Dr. David Stewart made a presentation on MAAC Co n f e r e n c e - 1864. The vessel was a total loss and the the Washington Park Vessel, a 19th-century Union Navy destroyed the machinery. Later, vernacular craft, while Dr. Nathan Richards 2009 Middle Atlantic the US Army Corps of Engineers damaged discussed the Myers Slip Vessel, a Medina- Archaeological Conference the vessel by moving it out of the channel. class gunboat in St. Georges, Bermuda. th The presentation focused on the vessel’s Nadine Kopp presented her work on the The 39 annual Middle Atlantic design, as gleaned from the archaeological Navy Bay Wreck of Kingston, Ontario, and Archaeological Conference (MAAC) was record, and other Sassacus-class vessels and Amy Leuchtmann discussed ECU’s three- held 19–22 March 2009 in Ocean City, their plans. dimensional documentation of the Vasa, Maryland. Maritime presentations ex- In the Underwater Archaeology session, a 17th-century Swedish warship. Eric Ray panded from the traditional Underwater six presenters covered a wide range of Mid- discussed his thesis research on the Vasa’s Archaeology session into a symposium Atlantic research. David Howe, Institute for galley, and Jacqueline Marcotte presented titled “Military-Site Archaeology East of Maritime History (IMH), summarized the her thesis research on the Wright’s Creek the Mississippi.” The symposium hon- 2008 findings of the Submerged Inventory Abandoned Vessel Complex. Peter Campbell ored keynote speaker, Dr. Doug Scott, for Project (SHIP) Reconnaissance, including discussed the archaeological applications of his experience with over forty battlefields. mapping four wreck sites in the Potomac and RhinoPhoto’s® photogrammetry software, Spanning thirty years with the Department St. Mary’s Rivers for the Maryland Historic that affords the ability to create three-dimen- of the Interior, Dr. Scott specializes in fo- Trust. Representing Julia Kleyman, William sional site plans on land and underwater. rensic archaeology and firearms identifica- Utley, Dr. Gordon Watts (1975), Dr. Robert A majority of the first-year students tion. Requested by the United Nations and Neyland, and ThermoFisher, Raymond traveled to the conference to participate in human rights organizations, Dr. Scott has Hayes reported on the effectiveness of a por- workshops, roundtable luncheons, and hear applied his expertise and battlefield modeling to present day forensic table x-ray fluorescence analyzer (XRF) for investigations in El Salvador, rapid qualitative and quantitative field as- Croatia, Rwanda, Cyprus, sessment of unknown composition artifacts and Iraq. from the CSS Alabama and USS Tulip. Erin In the Military-Site Secord, co-author with Susanne Grieve and symposium, Dr. Lawrence Eric Nordgren, all of the Mariners’ Museum, Babits presented “The Last discussed the development and implementa- of the Civil War Double- tion of a hands-on conservation laboratory Enders: The USS Ostego as workshop. The Chemistry in Conversation

o n e s Program teaches chemical and electrochemi-

J an Archaeological Site,” co- cal processes to school children ages 10–16.

e n n i f e r authored with Dr. Nathan : J Richards and Brian Dively Stephen Bilicki, BRS Cultural Resource p h o t o Specialist and GeoMar, LLC, reviewed the Joyce Steinmetz and Kate Schnitzer participate in an archaeological (2008). Designed for the illustration workshop at SHA. history and trade routes of cultural material

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 244 Stem to Stern • from Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean into the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River. William Utley, IMH, discussed the history of the gunboat CSS George Page and the Confederate schooner Martha Washington, last reported in Quantico Creek, Virginia in early 1862. Second year student Joyce Steinmetz presented “An Archaeological and Historical Investigation of the North Carolina Fishing Vessel Miss Betty J.” A few miles from the builders’ homestead, Miss Betty J lies in Wright’s Creek, off the Pungo River. Major Wilson Foster was a prolific yet traditional North Carolina boat builder of small skiffs and up to 65’ long commercial fishing vessels. Foster described his boatbuilding as “Chesapeake style,” with dead rise, hard chine, and bottom cross planks. Miss Betty ECU presence at NASOH Conference. (l to r): Tricia Dodds, Jim Allan, Bill Thiesen, Bob J had a 25-year life, trawling for crab and Browning, Paul Fontenoy, Carl Swanson, & Joyce Steinmetz. shrimp in Pamlico Sound. As the last large vessel built by Foster, Miss Betty J repre- contributions began before the confer- USS Saginaw.” World War II submarines sents the culmination of a life-long career ence even started, as Jim Allen (1996) were the subject of two other alumni pre- building boats with only hand tools. The served as one of the conference program sentations: Paul Fontenoy (1995), curator archaeological and historical record docu- co-chairs. Students in the Program in of maritime research at the North Carolina ments a small glimpse into a remarkable era Maritime Studies delivered papers on top- Maritime Museum, presented “Submarine of North Carolina vernacular boat ics spanning the eighteenth through the Construction and the West Coast: The building. twentieth centuries. Tricia Dodds examined US Navy and Industrial Diversification.” – Joyce Steinmetz eighteenth-century merchant shipping in Diane Cooper (1995), ship’s curator at the her paper, “The North Carolina Schooner: USS Pampanito Museum (part of the San Economic Engine of Coastal Commerce.” Francisco Maritime National Park) exam- NASOH Co n f e r e n c e - Joyce Steinmetz focused on Civil War mari- ined how sailors spent their time in port: time developments in “Civil War Blockade “Submariners Ashore: The USS Pampanito ECU Maritimers at Runner Effectiveness through St. Georges, and Her Ports of Call.” Ray Ashley (1994), NASOH Bermuda.” Nathaniel Howe, who had been president and chief executive officer of the accepted into the Maritime Program but San Diego Maritime Museum, discussed The North American Society for had not yet seen the wonders of Greenville, California maritime history in “The San Oceanic History (NASOH), the American discussed the difficulties of preserving his- Salvador Project.” affiliate of the International Commission toric vessels in “The Demise of the Museum Finally, Carl Swanson, director of grad- for Maritime History, held its annual meet- Ship Wawona: The Process of Settling a uate studies in history at ECU, presented a ing in Vallejo, California, 13–17 May 2009. Historic Ship’s Fate.” paper on a subject that is clearly near and The California Maritime Academy, part East Carolina alumni delivered numer- dear to all ECU students, alumni, and fac- of the California State University system, ous papers as well. Bob Browning (1980) ulty: pirates. His paper’s title was “‘The hosted the meeting and provided beauti- of the US Coast Guard Historian’s Office in unspeakable Calamity this poor Province ful vistas of San Pablo Bay. The theme for Washington, DC, talked about unusual ef- Suffers from Pyrats’: South Carolina and this year’s conference was Ports, Forts, and forts to save lives in “The Weird, the Wild, the Golden Age of Piracy.” Sports: Maritime Economy, Defense, and and the Wacky: Odd Lifesaving Inventions Although conference participants de- Recreation through Time and across Space. Offered to the US Lifesaving Service.” Bill voted the lion’s share of their attention to Fourteen sessions included fifty different Thiesen (1993), also from the US Coast scholarship, there was time for receptions, papers on a wide variety of maritime topics Guard Historian’s Office examined “Naval dinners, and a tour of the historic ships from eighteenth-century piracy to sports in Operating Base Cactus and Coast Guard at Hyde Street Pier, part of San Francisco the nineteenth-century Royal Navy and the Operations at Guadalcanal.” Hans Van Maritime National Historical Park. One of material culture of surfing. Tilburg (1994), with the NOAA Office of the annual meeting’s highlights occurred at As usual, East Carolina University stu- Marine Sanctuaries in Hawaii, focused on the banquet when Bob Browning received dents, faculty, and alumni played a leading nautical archaeology in his paper “Stepping the K. Jack Bauer Award, which was created role in presenting papers. In fact, ECU’s Stones in the Pacific: The Wreck of the to honor those who have given continued on page 6… p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 255 CAA Co n f e r e n c e - Ship Construction Shines MaritimersMaritimers on the onRoad: the continued Road: at CAA Conference NASOH Co n f e r e n c e - continued dedicated to the enrichment and preser- This year, students from the Maritime vation of maritime history and culture, distinguished service to NASOH and have Studies program had a rare opportunity to sponsored the conference. The confer- made lifetime contributions to the field of participate in the Computer Applications and ence, held September 10 through 12, took maritime history. Using his ECU master’s the- Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA) place at two locations, the North Carolina th sis about the Union blockade of Wilmington, conference. This conference, now in its 37 Maritime Museum (NCMM) in Beaufort, North Carolina, as his port of embarkation, year, is the preeminent high-tech archaeologi- and the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Bob has written two distinguished books cal methods conference in the world. The con- on Harker’s Island. Four graduate students about Civil War blockading as well as a study ference’s goal is to encourage the development from ECU’s Program in Maritime Studies of casualties in the World War II merchant of technologies to help us better understand presented on various topics relating to marine. Bob has also served on numerous the past, whether those technologies are useful North Carolina history and archaeology, NASOH committees over the years. in the field recording stages of a project, analy- taking this opportunity to disseminate NASOH will return to the East Coast for sis, or in public outreach. Such large scope knowledge and research on their individu- its 2010 annual meeting. The University of gives presenters and attendees an excellent al theses. Connecticut-Avery Point, and Mystic Seaport chance to see methods and equipment with Matt Thompson presented thesis re- which they are not familiar. will co-host the conference from 12–16 search on the Bohemian Girl, an archaeo- Unfortunately for those of us in the United May. The broad theme for 2010 is “Maritime logical study of a late 19th-century steam States, it is seldom on this side of the Atlantic. Environments,” which includes the scholarly launch previously operating on North The 2009 conference in Williamsburg, contexts of contemporary crises, such as con- Carolina’s Lake Waccamaw. Lyz Wyllie dis- Virginia, was only the second American- cerns over depleted fish stocks, piracy, chang- cussed her archaeological study of the Old hosted CAA since 2000. ing climate, global shipping policies, and the Sparta Vessel. Located in the Tar River, the Two Maritime students presented at the safety of merchant mariners and port com- so-called Old Sparta Vessel is possibly a conference. Eric Ray chaired the Computer munities. 19th-century steamboat, although research Applications in Maritime Sites session, which – Carl Swanson into its identity is ongoing. Jacqueline included both his paper on digital ship recon- Marcotte presented her research about struction techniques and Peter Campbell’s NCMHC Co n f e r e n c e - the Wright’s Creek Abandoned Vessel paper “High tech and low cost archaeo- Complex. In particular, Jacqueline concen- logical recording: Total station, Rhino, and Four Maritimers present trated on the history of Wright’s Creek, a Rhinophoto.” at The Annual North commercial fishing community experienc- Eric’s paper covered the use of archival ing serious decline. Joyce Steinmetz gave a sources and software to accelerate the arduous Carolina Maritime paper on the Miss Betty J, one of the vessels process of ship reconstruction. New digital History Conference in the Wright’s Creek Abandoned Vessel methods both speed the old process of hull Complex. reconstruction and make types of analysis, The Annual North Carolina Maritime Students rounded out their confer- such as sailing performance in different condi- History Conference (NCMHC) was a suc- ence experience by attending a fundraiser tions and with different sail sets, possible for cess, drawing a host of North Carolina his- by the local Marshallberg community the first time. torians, archaeologists, and curious history to save their harbor. In return for a small Peter discussed new software for under- buffs. NCMHC, a non-profit organization sum, students were rewarded with fresh water photogrammetry, the science of making fried shrimp caught measured models out of photographs. In the by local fishermen, past, photogrammetric software required a and other home- labor-intensive process of point matching cooked fare. Several between photographs. New software allows conference attendees for coded sticky “targets” that make post- finished their day processing a matter of minutes rather than enjoying a warm meal hours or days. while helping the lo- While neither student’s research could be considered finished, the chance to discuss

i t s cal community save b a the methods and results with other research- B their maritime way of

a r r y ers in the field was valuable, especially con- : L life. sidering the proximity of Williamsburg to p h o t o – Jacqueline Marcotte Presenters at NCMHC (l to r): Joyce Steinmetz, Matt Thompson, Jacqueline Greenville! Marcotte, Lyz Wyllie. – Eric Ray

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 246 Stem to Stern • PHI ALPHA THETA HARRIOT Co n f e r e n c e - RENCI Co n f e r e n c e - Co n f e r e n c e - Maritimers Represent at The HMS Medway/ Maritimers Travel to ECU’s Thomas Harriot Medina Sails Again. Boone to Represent at Conference One of the problems that we come across in the field of Maritime Archaeology Regional Conference Thomas Harriot is far from just a name is portraying information obtained from adorning the university’s College of Arts On March 28, 2009, a cadre of ECU shipwrecks or abandonments in a vivid and Sciences. In 1585, he set foot on the soil graduate students attended the Phi Alpha manner that excites the general public. of North Carolina as part of the first English Theta Carolinas Regional Conference at Fortunately, through the use of computer colony in the New World. For thirteen Appalachian State University in Boone, graphics and software such as Rhinoceros®, months, Harriot studied the flora, fauna, North Carolina. The annual conference we are able to utilize site plans generated and natives of coastal North Carolina, then serves as a venue for paper presentation and through archaeological recording and ships’ published a report regarding his observa- includes professorial review of papers. In plans drafted before vessels were built to tions. Harriot was more than just an explor- this competitive environment, the Maritime graphically and three-dimensionally rebuild er, however. His many studies included as- Studies program was well represented by a model. These models exhibit the charac- tronomy, physics, optics, linguistics, military Morgan MacKenzie, Lindsay Smith, Lyz teristics and constructional elements used fortifications, and algebra. Wyllie, and myself, while History and to initially build the vessel. While this cre- To commemorate and promote study History Education sent additional students. ates a visually attractive representation of of his many accomplishments, the Thomas Topics covered during the conference were a vessel in all “its former glory” for public Harriot College of Arts and Sciences chose highly varied. Lyz presented her findings outreach, the model is also useful for ar- to host the Harriot Quadricentennial on the Old Sparta Vessel. Morgan and chaeological study. By recreating the ship- Conference on April 1-4, 2009. The confer- Lindsay presented their research evaluating wreck using layers to depict different ship ence covered a variety of topics as well as lo- the survey potential of vessels off the North elements, we can add and remove structural cations, involving lectures at the University Carolina coast. I presented a far less archae- components to better understand and visu- of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the North ologically-focused paper—an analysis of alize the salvage and site-formation that has Carolina Museum of History, East Carolina Federal amphibious operations in North occurred on a shipwreck over time. University, the Fort Raleigh National Carolina during the Civil War. This is what was done for last spring’s Historic Site, and Roanoke Island Festival As a whole, ECU fared extremely well Visualization Competition, hosted by Park. This conference was the brainchild in winning the graduate category, placing ECU’s Renaissance Computing Institute of History Professor Larry Tise and former four presentations in the top six. Our gradu- continued on page 8… ate students were universally acknowledged Dean of Harriot College Keats Sparrow. Medina-class vessel, view from stern to bow. for having the best topic presentations As Dr. Tise’s Graduate Assistant, it was a among the schools represented. My pre- richly rewarding experience to help organize sentation received a third-place award, and and participate in this conference. I present- History Education graduate student Keith ed my research on collecting contemporary Parker’s strategic evaluation of the Civil images to illuminate the written texts from War battle of Monocacy tied for overall best the 1585-1586 voyage. Our work will lay the presentation. foundation for a future publication regard- Next year, we hope to maintain this lev- ing this first voyage to North Carolina, using el of excellence at the Regional Conference both the John White drawings and other in Myrtle Beach, SC. contemporary sources to provide the first – Marshall Lamm visual understanding of what explorers saw on our shores over four centuries ago. – Marshall Lamm Theses Defended In 2009 Monica Ayhens, “Well Content With One Fireship: The Sociomedical Impact of Venereal Disease on the Channel Fleet, 1793–1815.” Tricia Dodds, “The Schooner as an Economic Tool in the Development of North Carolina’s Commerce.” o y t Peter Campbell, “The Development of Confederate Ship Construction: An H o s e p h Archaeogical and Historical Investigation of Confederate Ironclads Neuse and Jackson.” : J p h o t o

p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 257 RENCI Co n f e r e n c e - continued from page 7

(RENCI) Department. By taking scaled measurements (using Adobe Acrobat® measuring tool) of the original plans of the HMS Medway and the site plans generated by ECU Maritime students of the Medina-Class Gunboat identified as either the HMS Medway or HMS Medina located off Myers Slip in Bermuda, a rough three-dimensional depiction was created in Rhinoceros®. While just a depiction of the Medina/Medway site-plan in three-dimensions can be an eye-catching way of garnering public interest in archaeological site preservation, the ability to use computer modeling to virtually reconstruct the entire vessel is what makes Rhinoceros® a valuable tool for archeological outreach and study. By taking base elements of the ship from the reconstructed 3D site-plan and adding more detail using components created from scaled-measurements of additional views of the original plans—including deck features, sails, armament, waterlines, and steam powered components—the vessel can in essence be “refloated” on a computer screen. This can then be presented to more viewers than will ever see the archaeological report. Time constraints for the Visualization Competition prevented constructing every piece of machinery, lifeboat, and rigging element of the original ship. However, given enough time and experimenta- tion with the computer program, nearly every detailed aspect of a shipwreck, abandonment, or ship still afloat, could be accurately modeled for outreach and archaeological study alike.

– John Wagner Computerized reconstruction of the HMS Medway/Medina depicting the ship’s reconstruction from its current sunken disposition to its original sailing form.

ISBSA Co n f e r e n c e - Europe, the Yenikapi project spans multiple the exhibits open to the general public, city blocks, contains 32 wrecks, harbor ISBSA attendees were allowed access to the International Symposium foundations, remaining sections of the orig- temporary storage facility housing a col- on Boat and Ship inal city wall, and a prehistoric site. lection of Ottoman Galleys owned by the On Wednesday, 14 October, presenta- Turkish Navy, some of which date to the Archaeology tions were confined to the morning hours, 15th century. Utilized by various sultans, The International Symposium on Boat allowing participants to attend a trip to the their wives, and the sultan’s harem, these and Ship Archaeology (ISBSA) is held every Naval Museum that afternoon. Aside from vessels represent a small flotilla of Ottoman continued on page 9… three years and comprised of archaeologists Yenikapi excavation, Istanbul, Turkey. and students from around the world. It is one of very few conferences specifically dedicated to the study of water craft and focuses on recently completed or ongoing projects. With about 130 attendees from over thirty coun- tries, the 12th ISBSA Symposium in Istanbul offered more than just informative posters, presentations, and discussions. The Sunday before the conference began, a trip to the Yenikapi excavation proved to be a momentous occasion. In 2004, as part of

the new Marmaray tunnel project to connect e n z i e K a c

Europe and Asia via rail, construction workers M

discovered one of Istanbul’s three Byzantine o r g a n Harbors. The largest maritime excavation in : M p h o t o

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 248 Stem to Stern • ISBSA Co n f e r e n c e - continued galleys, demonstrating the progression of from MA to PhD . . . size and style through the last five centuries. A Supposedly Fun Thing that I will Never Do Again: Two evening film festivals featuring experimental archaeological reconstruction Undertaking a Master’s and a PhD projects entertained viewers during the first two nights. South Pacific sea-going outrig- I attended East Carolina University’s structure and pointing out places for im- gers, an ancient Egyptian ship, a replica of Program in Maritime Studies during 2004- provement. Though this experience was Uluburun, the reconstructed Viking Sea 2005. After getting my master’s, I went on humbling at first, and though the writing Stallion fra Glendalough, and a Black Sea to pursue a PhD under the direction of center staff did not turn me into a Charles medieval merchant ship, represented some Associate Professor Mark Staniforth in the Dickens, I quickly realized that improving of the subjects depicted in the movies. Department of Archaeology at Flinders my grades was worth the extra effort. These An excellent opportunity for finding University in Adelaide, South Australia. My writing skills were a great help during my out about current projects, the use and prac- dissertation entitled The US – China Trade: PhD studies. ticality of the newest technology, as well as Capitalism, Consumption and Consumer My education at Flinders University theory, interpretation, and methodology, Identity was recently submitted. When was more self-directed than at ECU. My was a worthwhile endeavor that promises to Larry Babits asked me to compare these de- PhD was centered on research, and I was augment the knowledge base of even gree programs for Stem to Stern, it originally responsible for picking a feasible topic, find- the most educated scholar. For more seemed an easy task. After some thought, ing funding opportunities, writing grants, information on conference proceedings however, the conclusion is that the two are organizing fieldwork and visiting archive or to find out about the next symposium, largely incomparable. Though I am sure ex- facilities, all while writing the dissertation. set to be held in Amsterdam in 2012, periences differ, and the two programs have Bi-weekly meetings, during which my su- visit www.isbsa.org. marked dissimilarities, I could never have pervisor and I discussed everything from – Morgan MacKenzie done the latter without the former. archaeological literature and project bud- My graduate education at ECU was gets to grant writing and project timelines, Upcoming Conferences very directed, with a set number of courses helped guide me through the research and from which to choose, each involving a writing process. Because students are given Middle Atlantic great deal of direction from faculty. The great flexibility in their research, I was able Archaeological Conference Program in Maritime Studies ratio of teach- to choose and read about a wide variety of Ocean City, Maryland March 18-21, 2010 ers to students was high, with no under- topics, many of which I would not have en- graduate students competing for faculty countered in a standard archaeology course. 21st Annual Symposium on Maritime time. As for the content of the ECU course- Aside from the personal gratification of Archaeology, History of Hawaii and work, having come from an archaeology being able to cater to simple intellectual cu- the Pacific background, the general archaeological con- riosity, I was able to venture off the beaten Sunken Warbirds: The Legacy of Naval Aviation in the Pacific cepts were not new to me; however, more path and pursue more novel ways of ap- Honolulu, Hawaii technical aspects of maritime archaeology, proaching the past in my dissertation. February 13-15, 2010 such as side scan sonar and magnetometer Though my PhD was by research methodology, were new. Additionally, the only, like many PhD students I was offered Computer Applications and Quantitative diving program at ECU prepared me to con- a contract as a part-time lecturer in the Methods in Archaeology (CAA) Fusion of Cultures duct research in nearly every type of marine Department of Archaeology. This experi- Grenada, Spain environment found in the United States. ence not only allowed me to review topics I April 6-9, 2010 One of the most valuable lessons had not reflected upon for nearly ten years, learned at ECU was how to conduct pri- but it also required that I think about what I Society for American mary source research and how to better know and how to explain it in different ways Archaeology (SAA) convey results of that research through that students could understand. In a way, St. Louis, Missouri writing. Soon after arriving at ECU, I was these experiences serve the same purpose April 14-18, 2010 informed by my thesis supervisor, Bradley as coursework in that they necessitated and North American Society for Oceanic A. Rodgers, that my academic writing left allowed me to come to a more full under- History (NASOH) a great deal to be desired. Not simply leav- standing of my field’s most foundational Avery Point & Mystic Seaport, Connecticut ing it at that, Rodgers went over my papers concepts. May 12-16, 2010 line-by-line with me, discussing how to In truth, the programs and experiences 2010 Nautical Archaeology Society better form and justify an argument. For at ECU and Flinders University are largely Annual Conference further help, he recommended the ECU incomparable. While the work I did and University of Portsmouth Writing Center. The Writing Center helped the people I worked with at Flinders made Portsmouth, England me a great deal by going over the paper’s for a rewarding experience, I relied on the November 6, 2010 continued on page 16… p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 259 ProgramWelcomes in New Maritime Conservator Studies

What do Burberry horse blankets, called a “personally and professionally chal- leather shoes, and cans of beef have in com- lenging” experience. Throughout a polar mon? Each seemingly unremarkable item winter, she spent a seven-month sabbatical is an artifact that has been conserved by the as part of an all-female group of researchers Program’s latest addition, Archaeological conserving artifacts from early Antarctic Conservator Susanne Grieve. explorer’s huts. The four-woman team trav- Grieve joined ECU in the fall and is eled to the historic huts managed by the excited to be a part of the open learning en- New Zealand-based Antarctic Heritage vironment in Maritime Studies. She earned Trust, and recovered the objects brought r u s t

her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology with back across the polar ice to Scott Base for T

a specialization in Underwater Archaeology conservation. It was, to Grieve personally, e r i t a g e from the University of West Florida in 2003. “a great learning experience.” One, it seems, H

While there, she attended an underwater ar- that exposed her to new treatments and n t a r c t i c : A

chaeology field school at Australia’s Flinders conservation challenges. p h o t o University. From early on, Grieve knew Before her arrival at ECU, Grieve Susanne Grieve she wanted to be an archaeologist. It wasn’t climbed the ranks at The Mariner’s until she began her Master’s at University Museum in Newport News, VA. She began In her new role at ECU, Grieve will College London that she realized her niche as an intern, proved herself as an assistant teach conservation classes, assist in facilitat- would be conservation. conservator, and ultimately reached the title ing field schools, and undertake contract Grieve has conserved an interesting se- of senior conservator in 2008. work with museums and other private en- lection of artifacts, including sailor’s leather Grieve is a dynamic addition to the tities. The Program in Maritime Studies shoes from the Confederate Submarine veteran personnel in the program. She “is always looking ahead,” Grieve says. She H.L. Hunley, and a camp stove from an holds a Technical Diving Certification looks forward to contributing to that prog- Antarctic explorer’s hut. Presently, her re- (she is an avid scuba diver and has dived ress and joined the team because she knew search interests include the treatment of in waters around the globe) and has won she “would learn from the students and modern materials, such as plastic and rub- a Women Divers’ Hall of Fame scholar- faculty.” ber. “They are challenging,” Grieve says, ship. An active member of the American Undoubtedly, the Program will benefit “we don’t know how they react, and they Institute for Conservation, she is co-chair for from her knowledge as well. have the inherent vice of being made to the Archaeological Discussion Group and Susanne Grieve lives in Greenville with decompose!” the program chair for the Wooden Artifact her Beabull dog Daisy. In 2008, Grieve embarked on what she Group. –Stephanie Gandulla Sailing rigged vessel, is the only wooden square- Niagara rigger in the United States operated as a sailing school. Completed in 1990, it is outfitted ECU’s Above-Water Underwater with modern safety and navigational equip- Archaeology program recognizes that there are ment and modern engines, but is otherwise certain elements of shipboard life that cannot largely period authentic. Niagara operates be adequately conveyed through textbooks or on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway from studying shipwrecks. from a homeport of Erie, Pennsylvania. Since 1996, ECU’s Program in Maritime Every ship is a perpetual stranger, sus- Studies has periodically offered a sum- pended between and beholden to two mer course in Above-Water Underwater elements, air and water, native to neither. Archaeology. This course will be offered again Thunder squalls on the Great Lakes can of- during summer 2010. Participants will sail ten achieve hurricane-force winds, a serious aboard the US Brig Niagara, a reconstructed challenge to even the most well-found vessel. e n g i e z a

. L War of 1812 brig operated as a sailing school T Waves can mount up quickly into a lumpy

o s e p h and museum ship by the Commonwealth of sea state, currents can rip as fast as five knots : J Pennsylvania. in narrow rivers, and a lee shore is never far p h o t o The brig Niagara fires a carronade from her port battery. Niagara, a 198-foot, two-masted, square- enough away to be safely ignored. Of more continued on page 14…

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2410 Stem to Stern • Investigating the. . . ample opportunities for Chris and me to Colonial Port of Sunbury, Georgia become versed in the myriad manifesta- tions of the equipment’s discontent. Despite At the beginning of May 2009, while underwater resources. As Sunbury is the these difficulties we side-scanned several the rest of my class was gearing up for topic of my thesis, I am able to both con- predetermined areas including parts of the the summer field school in the Pee Dee tribute and benefit from this project. Medway River and many adjoining creeks. River, South Carolina, I was preparing for Many readers probably do not recog- Our determination paid off as we encoun- a seven-week internship in not too distant nize the name Sunbury. Located in Liberty tered several encouraging targets. When we Savannah, Georgia. Under the direction of County, Georgia, Sunbury is a quiet town could not be on the water, we surveyed up- Deputy State Archaeologist Chris McCabe comprised of a few homes and townhouses. land and inter-tidal zones. Here we located (2007), I set up shop at the Georgia Coastal From the mid to late 18th century, Sunbury Underwater Archaeology Field Station, was a thriving colonial seaport compet- headquartered at the Skidaway Institute of ing for trade with Savannah, the only other Oceanography. Together we conducted a port of entry on the Georgia coast. The Phase I remote-sensing survey of the waters town came under hard times during the around Sunbury, GA, twenty-five miles American Revolution and Federalist pe- to the south on the Medway River and St riods, eventually declining in importance Catherine’s Sound. to such a degree that by the 1820s it was Investigating the port of Sunbury pro- nearly deserted, save for one or two homes. duced multiple benefits. As part of Chris’ Today, the only discernible reminder of the duties as Georgia’s state underwater ar- community’s historical importance is Fort chaeologist, he is responsible for managing Morris State Historic Site, where an earth- the state’s underwater cultural resources. works battery was erected to defend the Unfortunately for Chris, very few of these port. resources outside Savannah Harbor have The Georgia coast offers underwa- been accurately assessed. In 2008, he ini- ter researchers a wealth of potential op- tiated the Georgia Statewide Shipwreck portunities, but not without a fight. For Inventory as a platform for continued mari- example, tidal ranges in the area average

time investigation of state-owned waters. over six feet, but have been known to ap- i l k The growing GIS database has become a proach eleven. As we surveyed areas with D t e p h e n vital tool for resource managers, coastal strong currents, shifting sand bars, and : S planners, and permitting agencies who need tidal creeks that drained twice daily, our p h o t o Chris McCabe exhibits a libation bottle on one wharf to consider submerged resources in their work was continually restricted by the tide site at Sunbury. decision making. It also allows the state to window. Compounding the environmental better manage and interpret their numerous issues was the fact that during the summer several former colonial wharf sites, and in months in much of the the process discovered multiple diagnostic American Southeast, artifacts including ballast stone, hand-hewn large thunderstorms piling remnants, libation bottles, and period are prone to develop. ceramics. Since we operated our Together with Chris’ help, I was able survey electronics on to gather large amounts of data, and at the a boat without a cabin, same time help expand Georgia’s maritime this last factor was the database. Much work remains to be done most disconcerting. however, and I will be returning to conduct Lastly, as most battle- a magnetometer survey and coordinate hardened archaeolo- a team of divers to ground-truth the sub- gists will tell you, tech- merged sites we found. I would like to thank nological gadgets, as

e Chris McCabe and Arthur Edgar from the b a

C wonderful as they are, c Fort Morris State Historic Site for their help M can be prone to fits of h r i s with this project. : C “enigmatic behavior”. – Stephen Dilk p h o t o This survey provided Stephen Dilk sidescans on the Medway River. Inset Photo: Exciting target located during the survey of Sunbury. p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2511 The Bluefields Bay Archaeological Investigation Appreciating the Rhythms of Currituck From 10 October through 7 November 2009, Maritime Studies student Benjamin Siegel directed an archaeological survey of the sea floor and coastline at Bluefields Bay, Jamaica. Using a predictive model derived from historic maps, charts, pilotage notes, and local fishermen’s knowledge, the survey targeted parts of the bay that seemed likely to contain vessels and other cultural remains. The project included surveying and documenting previously known archaeo- a n d u l l a

G logical sites both in the bay itself and along shore. Additionally, the project incorporated ethnographic t e p h a n i e

: S research, including vernacular craft recording, and

p h o t o observing traditional local industries such as pimento Dr. Paul Fontenoy and Brown Mims set up a baseline to record a small vessel processing, farming, and fishing. while Stephen Dilk looks on. Siegel received help from many volunteers. Fellow In the sleepy town of Currituck, small elements created by each boat builder. students Stephanie Gandulla, John Ratcliffe, Robert wooden boatbuilding is a proud heri- Once measured, the raw data was Minford, and Peter Campbell traveled to Bluefields tage kept alive by local enthusiasts. converted into elegant line drawings Bay and aided in towboarding, snorkeling, and coast- The most devoted of these is Wilson as a lasting record of these vanish- line surveys. Some participated in the project’s first Snowden. Hidden away in every shed ing craft. A one-day session at the two days of scuba diving, when they documented a and spilling out onto the lawn, small North Carolina Maritime Museum cannon, a suspected carronade, and a historic anchor. skiffs are kept for educational and in Beaufort was the final step in Joey Roberts, Dawn Luker and Aimee Bouzigard, preservation purposes. Through the classroom work. Here, Dr. Fontenoy students in East Carolina’s Graduate Anthropology generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Snowden, explained the basics of drafting and program, helped Siegel survey several coastal sites Maritime Studies students had an calculations necessary to convert the including a historic wharf, a watering place, and an opportunity to apply practical boat numbers into a working plan of the wa- eighteenth century tavern. Several Jamaicans were in- recording skills to Mr. Snowden’s ver- tercraft. The final product is up to the volved, including president of the Bluefields’ Friendly nacular watercraft. Under the tutelage students. Many hours were spent ago- Fishermen Society, Mr. Wolde Kristos, the former of Dr. Paul Fontenoy (1995), students nizing over the curvature of the chine director of the Jamaican National Heritage Trust, acquired the recording and drafting and whether or not the ink would dry skills necessary for recording water- in time. craft. What was not included in the The experiences beyond the in- syllabus, but experienced fully in the structional sessions make this class field, was the interaction with an entire truly special. While in Currituck, Mr. u r v e y culture of craftsmen carrying on a ver- Snowden and Dr. Fontenoy arranged S nacular boatbuilding tradition. visits to artisans still making the small

From February through March, craft representative of this area. At one rchaeological A a y

the class made weekend treks north to stop, three generations of boat builders B Currituck. Weekends were spent in the had begun a small skiff from scratch. l u e f i e l d s

field recording, with the last weekend The grandson’s contribution was to act : B

in Beaufort, learning the drafting pro- as a brace when bending the boards p h o t o cess at the North Carolina Maritime into their proper shape. Another kind John Ratcliffe, Aimee Bouzigard, Dawn Luker, and Benjamin Siegel Museum. While in the field, this year’s neighbor invited us to dinner. After the record a wharf site in Bluefields Bay, Jamaica. class of thirteen students recorded feast, the class enjoyed a film about the Roderick Ebanks, and several local fishermen. sixteen boats, including skiffs and a history of the local duck hunting tradi- Situated just to the south east of Savannah La Mar dilapidated dory. The process is simple tion that made Currituck famous. The on Jamaica’s west coast, Bluefields Bay has a storied enough: establish a level baseline community’s awareness of its cultural past, filled with maritime activity. First colonized by along the length of the boat and take heritage and its efforts to maintain Spain in the seventeenth century, Bluefields was once measurements from that. Although such proud traditions, transforms these home to the Spanish settlement Oristan, and featured straightforward, the students faced unprepossessing boats into artifacts. at least two protective fortifications. In the 1650s, challenges in recording the unique –Nicole Wittig when the English seized Jamaica from the Spanish, continued on page 14…

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2412 Stem to Stern • Summerin the PeeField Dee River School The main theme of Maritime Studies’ summer field school was the challenging environment. In addition to zero-visibility water, which was expected, students dealt with the almost continually rising Pee Dee River which increased currents to 3–5 knots, lightning, and thunderstorms on several afternoons. The river was full of logjams and the current made it difficult to navigate base- m e r lines and buoys. In spite of these condi- A h r i s

tions, ECU students were able to record : C

and recover numerous artifacts from p h o t o both the shore and the river. Dredging operation in the Pee Dee River. The project took place at the reported location of the Mars Bluff Confederate during the first two weeks of the project. friction primers were recovered from the river Naval Yard on the Pee Dee River north of These shovel test pits did not reveal any bottom. Five were 6.4-inch shells and the Florence, South Carolina. Funding was pro- historic building remnants; however, a high remaining two were 7-inch shells. Of the five vided by the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation number of prehistoric ceramic fragments 6.4-inch shells, four had markings. The mark- for recording archaeological features, both were recovered. Various ceramic assemblages ings consisted of “Lt. RDM” above “RNOW” on land and in water, that were associated were represented but the majority of the frag- on the bourrelet and “Brooke” or “Brooke with cannon found in the river. Two differ- ments were from the Middle Woodland pe- Q” on the sabot of the shell. “Lt. RDM” are ent groups, the CSS Pee Dee Research and riod (300–1100 AD). A few glass and historic the initials of the manufacturing supervi- Recovery Team, a group of local diving en- ceramic fragments were also recovered. sor, Lieutenant Robert Dabney Minor, at thusiasts, and SCIAA, the South Carolina Although conditions made it unsafe to the Richmond Naval Ordinance Works, Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, examine the alleged CSS Pee Dee wreck, sur- (RNOW). The meaning of the Q after the located the cannon. The preliminary research veys were conducted along the bluff front word Brooke is more difficult to identify, al- conducted by these two teams was invalu- near the property owners’ modern dock. Four though it may have been used to indicate a able. The possible location of the remains baselines were established running nearly subcontractor. of the CSS Pee Dee was determined through parallel to the shore. The baselines were be- Friction primers were used to ignite the side scan sonar and magnetometer surveys by tween twenty-five and thirty meters long and charge in a cannon. All three friction primers SCIAA. spaced between two and five meters apart. In were of similar design but were different from East Carolina University’s Program in addition, there was a rope “highway” estab- known friction primers and may indicate a Maritime Studies was approached because lished by SCIAA that served as a guide to the regional variation, or an imported type. of extensive experience with zero visibility Dahlgren and Brooke cannon barrels. Numerous caulking and logging tools conditions as well as previous experience The IX-inch Dahlgren was uncovered were also found along the baseline, includ- with Civil War gunboats. The Principle by dredging and several markings along the ing a large number of dog eyes, typically used Investigator was Dr. Lawrence Babits and Co- tube were exposed including, “JMB” and “FP to chain logs together for transport via rivers Principle Investigator was Dr. Lynn Harris. No.573”. These markings seem to indicate and waterways. The provenience of these Calvin Mires assisted as the Archaeological that the Dahlgren was produced at the Fort artifacts and the absence of personal and food Technician. Mark Keusenkothen, the Dive Pitt Foundry in 1862. No distinctive mark- related artifacts suggests that the area studied Safety Officer, had his work cut out for him, ings were observed on the 6.4-inch Brooke during this field school was used solely as a keeping students (and professors) from being rifle and only a few tentative measurements working area and living quarters were located injured in the dangerous conditions. Work were made due to site conditions. The Brooke elsewhere. started 26 May 2009 and continued through rifle is an important historical piece as it was Overall, it was an interesting and edu- 18 June 2009. developed by the Confederate Navy specifi- cational field school. The students had the Historical documents revealed that four- cally to pierce Union ironclads. Historical opportunity to work with a wide variety of teen buildings were constructed for the Mars records indicated that there was also a 7-inch people, including amateur divers, amateur his- Bluff Naval Shipyard. In an attempt to find Brooke rifle aboard the CSS Pee Dee, which torians, local citizens, and published historical remnants of these buildings, 150 shovel test has yet to be found. researchers. Students also worked with mem- pits were excavated throughout the property A total of seven Brooke shells and three bers of SCIAA including Dr. Christopher continued on page 14… p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2513 Pee Dee River continued from page 13 Bluefields Bay continued from page 12 the bay became a haven for English smugglers and privateers. By the late 1700s, the Royal Navy had realized the value of Bluefields’ shel- tered waters, and the bay was used as a victualing station i e g e l for British ships S a m i n j

on their way out of e n the Caribbean. : B

Kate Schnitzer and Brown Mims record a propeller from the p h o t o Pee Dee River wreck. While the Stephanie Gandulla records an anchor in Bluefields Bluefields Bay Amer, Joe Beatty, Lora Holland, and Carl Naylor who were pa- Bay, Jamaica. Archaeological tient and understanding in the confusion that a flock of students Investigation will serve as the basis for Siegel’s second master’s thesis, can sometimes create. Dr. Jonathan Leader, South Carolina State it was also intended to help better connect the people of Bluefields Archaeologist, was an excellent teacher and cook. with their cultural resources. To this effect, copies of Siegel’s final re- The site was extremely significant to the community and port and thesis will be turned over to the Jamaican National Heritage Fridays were reserved for press interviews, public visits, video foot- Trust and several local institutions such as the Bluefields Peoples age and pictures. On Friday, 12 June 2009, the site was opened to Community Association and the Bluefields Friendly Fishermen the public, and students explained the history of the shipyard as well Society. Additionally, Siegel gave a public presentation about his ar- as some of the techniques used in underwater archaeology. Dozens chaeological findings, their historic significance, and their economic of people, young to old, visited the site and were witness to the im- value for Bluefields tourism industry. portance of maritime archaeological work. – Benjamin Siegel – Whitney Rose Minger

Sailing Niagara continued from page 10

frequent concern however, are weather patterns, which produce moderate but con- trary winds, or sometimes, no wind at all. Moving even three or four knots in the desired direction becomes a cause for satisfaction, and the rare occasions when the ship is charging along at eight, ten or even twelve knots, on a perfect beam reach, with a bone in her teeth, every fiber aquiver in purposeful motion, are immensely gratifying. Shipboard life is dominated by the reality that one is living in, and is in fact part of, an immense machine. In this environment, one’s personal needs and desires are sublimated to the needs of the vessel and community. Society is organized hierar- chically to promote clear communication and decisive action. Ideally, the ship and its crew function as a single organism, a well-coordinated exercise in grace. While e n g i e z a underway, the ship’s company is divided into three watches, each led by an officer, . L T which divide between them the navigational, operational and housekeeping duties. o s e p h

: J Off watches live and sleep in the ship’s berth deck, a closely-packed warren of ham- p h o t o mocks and sea bags which, although spartan, is not without a certain coziness. Chief Mate Billy Sabatini of the Niagara snaps sail hanks onto the inner main stay, while a work gang bends on the ship’s mainsail. Although Niagara’s modern cargo is history and trainees, vestiges of her original purpose as a warship, Oliver Hazard Perry’s relief flagship during the battle of Lake Erie, remain. Niagara carries a complement of carronades, a type of large, smooth-bore cannon designed to deliver a heavy load of shot at close range. Although long since eclipsed by more modern engines of war, these great guns still present an awesome and terrible spectacle when fired, shouting and kicking, shuddering the very bones of the ship. – Joseph T. Lengieza

Joseph T. Lengieza is a second-year student in the Program in Maritime Studies, and the Second Mate of Niagara.

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2414 Stem to Stern • lines and building techniques also closely Fall Field School resembled another vessel dated to the at the Bowling Farm Site 1750’s previously recorded by a PMS field school in Edenton, North Carolina. In November 2008, Bob and Becky teams ran a baseline along the vessel’s keel- The bathymetric survey included plac- Bowling of Bertie County discovered that son and then at an angle to run parallel to ing sixteen buoys in a line across the river, the wind had blown a substantial amount of the deep end of the wharf. Dr. Harris set measuring the depth at each buoy, and water out of the Cashie River. The blustery her team mud mapping the wharf while Mr. recording the buoy’s location on the site weather exposed the remains of an old ves- Mires’ team recorded the property line and map. Students recorded five transects and sel on their riverbank. To their great credit, the opposite riverbank. By the end of the discovered the maximum river depth was the Bowlings rec- twenty-seven feet but aver- ognized the sig- “The most intriguing discovery came after two students dredged aged twenty-one feet in the nificance of their sand away from the underside of the hull and keel…” river’s middle. The width discovery and of the river combined with notified the Program in Maritime Studies. week, Dr. Rodgers’ team had completed such a depth would allow large vessels of Dr. Bradley Rodgers, intrigued by the find, preliminary drawings of the ship. significant tonnage to sail up river from visited the site to see the vessel firsthand. The second week included complete Albemarle Sound to various plantations and The exposed frames showed no room and recording of the wharf’s plan view, the plan landings. space, simply a series of substantial half and profile views of the ship, and the bathy- During the last week of field school, stu- frames. Later reconnaissance revealed the metric survey. The wharf recording showed dents made significant discoveries regard- existence of a submerged wharf adjacent to that it was a cob-type wharf with logs ing the vessel and dredged a large trench the vessel. Dr. Rodgers, along with Dr. Lynn known as stretchers running perpendicular in the wharf to recover artifacts and record Harris, quickly decided to utilize this site, to the shore. The stretchers are notched the cross section. They also performed a The Bowling Farm Site (0001CSR), as the to receive headers running parallel to the terrestrial survey. A reexamination of the 2009 Fall Field School. shore. This configuration created a rectan- vessel showed that the timbers closest to the The Bowling’s Farm is located on the gular crib filled with ballast to form a jetty shore were not chocks but Y-frames, floors, Cashie River roughly eight miles downriver where vessels could tie up and unload and and futtocks, while a nearby, disarticulated from Windsor, North Carolina. The site lade cargo. timber in the cypress knees proved to be a lies in a protected section of the river with The wreck plan showed that only twen- rudder. This new information suggests that swamp entirely surrounding adjacent higher ty feet of the keel remained extending from the vessel’s stern, not the bow, is present. land, making an easily defended landing port to starboard to the turn of the bilge. Questions still remain as to how and why with a tactical view both up and down the The students recorded room and space on the vessel is in its current location and why river. the timbers further into the channel, The field school included several ob- while confirming that frames nearer the jectives: record a plan and cross section of shore had none. This suggested that both the vessel and wharf, perform a ran- only a small portion of the bow was dom terrestrial survey adjacent to the vessel present. The most intriguing discovery and wharf, undertake a bathymetric survey came after two students dredged sand of the nearby river in the site’s vicinity, and away from the underside of the hull identify diagnostic artifacts. Eleven students and keel to take measurements for the were broken into three teams and rotated cross section. The keel was not bro- weekly between different portions of the ken but sawn cleanly through the gar- site. Dr. Rodgers headed the vessel record- board strakes and most other planking. ing, Dr. Harris took charge of the wharf, and Questions immediately rose about how i c k s Calvin Mires handled the terrestrial and a fairly large ocean-going vessel could H bathymetric surveys. be cut cleanly through from side to side. h e r e s a : T

During the first week, students snor- Hypotheses range from creating an- p h o t o keled the underwater site and explored the other wharf using the ship as cribbing to John Ratcliffe maps in the field. terrestrial component on foot, discovering the ship being removed from the river that the site might extend farther than the in small portions during river dredging. The it was placed stern first on the shore. To obvious features. During this exploration, cross section also revealed that the vessel’s gather more information, students dredged students found what Dr. Harris dubbed the frames had relatively little curvature until the bilge and found fragments of a pre-1870 “junkyard,” a collection of long, thick planks the turn of the bilge signifying that it was gin bottle, one intact bottle base, various and debris. To facilitate documentation, likely a merchantmen or transport vessel. Its continued on page 16… p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2515 Field School/Bowling Farm, continued from page 15 Americans and colonists. the wharf. A consultation with ECU The terrestrial survey includ- prehistoric archaeologist Dr. Randy ed digging twenty-eight shovel test Daniels revealed the prehistoric pits randomly placed throughout ceramics spanned from the early the Bowling family’s front yard to late Woodland and consisted of along the riverfront. The artifacts both Tuscarora and non-Tuscarora recovered were largely of Native pottery types. The final analysis American pottery sherds, with a of the Bowling Farm Site may ac- few lithics and historic artifacts. tually provide a link between the The historic ceramics, glass, and Native American inhabitants and fasteners found in the yard re- the European settlers on the Cashie i c k s H semble artifacts recovered from River. h e r e s a

: T – Theresa Hicks p h o t o

Dr. Bradley Rodgers instructs students in the Cashie River.

nuts, and fruit pits. On the last day, Dr. Rodgers discovered probable cypress sheathing that had eluded everyone. Wood sheathing reinforced other diagnostic elements promoting the hypothesis that the vessel dated before 1750s. Dredging the wharf extended down three stretchers, revealing that the wharf was almost entirely filled with ballast rock. Diagnostic artifacts included a number of unused gunflints, pipe stems, prehistoric and historic ceramic sherds, glass, and wrought nails. It is hoped analysis of these arti-

facts will provide information about the periods in which the wharf was in i c k s H use and whether the artifact mixture may indicate contact between Native h e r e s a : T p h o t o

Maritimers Carry on Vasa Stephen Dilk, Brown Mims, and Jessica Smeeks sift through a test pit’s contents. Connection with New Theses Fr o m MA t o PhD, continued from page 9 Building on ECU’s positive rap- compare the sailors’ appearances to images port with the renowned Vasa Museum of other individuals living in Sweden in the education I gained during my time at ECU. in Stockholm, four Program in Maritime early seventeenth century. All things considered, and after nearly a Studies students are undertaking thesis Stephanie Gandulla will be studying quarter of a century spent in school, my projects that revolve around Vasa research. Vasa’s treenware, or wooden tableware. time spent getting a master’s and a PhD was The Vasa, sunk in 1628 and excavated in Over two hundred such artifacts were exca- neither as fun nor as horrible as I expected, 1961, yielded thousands of artifacts and vated and present an opportunity to under- although I am glad that my final degree is al- offers researchers a veritable window into stand victualling, sailors’ personal posses- most in hand. Anyone considering a similar seventeenth-century shipboard life. sions, and the woodcarver’s craft. Gandulla’s path should first discern the desire to con- John Ratcliffe’s thesis will focus on the research will also explore seventeenth cen- tinue within the field from the more sub- closed staved containers on board Vasa, and tury food ways at sea. lime force of academic inertia, as it is a long create a barrel typology. He hopes to answer Eric Ray’s thesis, begun last year, exam- and demanding process without some sense questions about provisioning and life on ines the galley structure aboard Vasa, the of direction and articulated goals. If a higher board, and, since the ship lacked a dedicated only large warship galley extant from the degree is what is desired, though, then take magazine, his research may lead to hypoth- seventeenth century. It examines its con- it from me – your education at ECU will eses about the stowage of gunpowder. struction, use, and place within the larger prove essential. Jessica Smeeks will be determining context of naval and terrestrial kitchens. –Claire P. Dappert which artifacts, whether clothing, coins, or With these investigations, ECU’s other personal items, are associated with Program in Maritime Studies is building its each set of human remains on Vasa. Based international repertoire and becoming an on these conclusions, she hopes to recon- important part of the research on one of the struct the appearances of fifteen Vasa sail- most famous shipwrecks in history. ors at the time of death. Smeeks can then – Stephanie Gandulla

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2416 Stem to Stern • W. Keats Sparrow VasaPartnership Continues (Memoriam) In July 2009, eight students returned The project was broken into three major to Stockholm, Sweden and renewed their sections, which divided the vessel into the “A Sad Day” headed several emails I partnership with the Vasa Museum studying starboard, port, and centerline. This allowed received on Veteran’s Day. They all an- and recording the Swedish warship, Vasa. students to record the vessel more accu- nounced the death of Dean Emeritus This project’s particular objective was to rately and search for any discrepancies that W. Keats Sparrow, a friend and bene- record the Vasa’s lower gundeck, an objec- may appear between sections; these discrep- factor of the Maritime Program, who tive fifty years in the making. Seven current ancies may possibly account for certain con- died 11 November 2009. students and one incoming student traveled struction techniques, repairs, or peculiarities Keats was dean from June 1990 and worked under the supervision of Dr. that would need further research. until August 2005. During that David Stewart and Dr. Fred Hocker, Head The last weeks in Stockholm were spent time, he was a champion of Arts and of Research at the Vasa Museum. Students recording the Vasa using total station, input- Sciences as the academic cornerstone were given the opportunity to develop the ting data into specifically-designed software, of a university. He renamed Arts and research and recreat- Sciences the Thomas Harriot College design “…a unique educational venture that has ing the vessel of Arts and Sciences in March 2003, of the enriched the training of each student involved.” digitally to to honor the scientist and man of let- project, more fully ters who accompanied the Roanoke as well as the skills necessary to implement study the ship and its associated compo- Voyages and provided the first vi- the design to achieve the project’s ultimate nents. Students rotated as recorder, position sual evidence of the New World for goal. This goal was to study not only how holder, or manipulator of the total station Englishmen. Harriot also mapped the the Vasa was built but also how it may have equipment, giving everyone an opportu- eastern Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine moved and maneuvered on that fateful day nity to learn the duties and importance of System. in 1628. each task. With two teams working on the While Keats was nominally an Students spent their first weeks drawing starboard and port sides of the vessel simul- English Professor, his love and sup- components of Vasa’s construction by hand, taneously, a beautiful digital depiction— port for History, especially Maritime learning the appropriate terms and methods consisting of thousands of points of data— History, made our program possible. for recording each to the fullest possible de- recreated the Vasa. Although there were He supported the program financially tail. Working in teams or as a solo effort, stu- bumps on the road to achieving the ultimate and politically. Even in hard times, he dents undertook the task of hand measuring goal (for example, learning total station caused good things to happen. More ceiling structure, gunport sections, fore and equipment and Photoshop in Swedish) the importantly, he encouraged, AND sup- aft views of rider and knee construction, and project was a success. Using digital data and ported faculty members. other structural components including the the detailed measured sketches together Keats was intensely proud of his main mast, foremast, bulkhead, and pumps. own historical patrimony and worked continued on page 19… to bring others around to a similar Instructors and students contemplate total station placement on board the Vasa. belief. That led to his championing Josh Howard (2004) and me as we worked through the North Carolina Continental Army officers to produce Fortitude and Forbearance. He was curious about the Continental officers. In fact, his curiosity was virtually insatiable and he enjoyed learning up to the end. He was one of the people Bob Dylan mentioned when he said, “He who isn’t being born is busy dy- ing.” Keats was always being born. He isn’t really gone; his monument is the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences. All those students who have gone out from here with his well- o n e s J rounded thirst for knowledge are his

e n n i f e r legacy to the future. : J – Larry Babits p h o t o

p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2517

WaySpring Down Break Yonder:on the Chattahoochee For many students, Spring Break 2009 was a week of sun, sand, and long days on the beach, but for a small group of ECU Maritimers it was an opportunity to conduct research at the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, Georgia. A team of eight students under Peter Campbell’s direction set out in March to record the remains of the Confederate ironclad CSS Jackson. Data gathered during the project will serve to supplement Campbell’s thesis research about Confederate ironclad construction . Over 220 feet long and more than 50 feet in beam, the CSS Jackson was one of

the larger southern ironclads. It was con- Students in front of CSS Jackson’s bow. (l to r): John Ratcliffe, Lindsay Smith, Nicole Wittig, Kate structed in Port Columbus on the banks of Schnitzer, Stephanie Gandulla, Valerie Rissell, Jennifer Jones, Peter Campbell, Stephen Dilk. the Chattahoochee River, not far from its current museum location. In 1865, Union hand as labeled sketches. Since the vessel students’ diligence was rewarded by the forces burned the CSS Jackson and sank the remains are slightly elevated, the team was hospitality of ECU graduate and former remains. The wreckage of the once great able to pay special attention to the bot- museum curator, Bob Holcombe (1993). ironclad lay submerged in the waters of tom of the hull. The work went smoothly Bob and his wife Jane hosted a cookout at the Chattahoochee for their home one evening and a good time nearly a century before The CSS Jackson project yielded information was had by all. Despite the lack of sun and it was raised in 1961 and on not only one vessel, as planned, but three. sand, spring break ’09 was a great success eventually exhibited at for the Maritimers. The CSS Jackson project the Civil War Naval Museum. and left students time to record several yielded information on not only one ves- The ECU research team recorded the other museum exhibits including the stern sel, as planned, but three. The Program in vessel’s outer hull by shooting points along section of the Confederate gunboat CSS Maritime Studies wishes to extend thanks the exterior with a total station and TDS Chattahoochee, the possible blockade-run- to the staff of the National Civil War Naval data collection unit. These points are being ner schooner Virginia, and the disarticulated Museum, whose help made this project pos- used to create a 3D image of the ironclad. fantail stern of the CSS Jackson. sible, and to the hospitable Holcombes. Construction details, such as the locations In spring break fashion, however, – Kate Schnitzer of fasteners and scarphs, were recorded by the trip wasn’t all work and no play. The We will miss you… never looked back, except to try and bring in while I guided him through the intricacies Mike Overfield passed away May 17 student researchers and former teachers to of a thesis and doing fieldwork. There were after a long struggle against cancer. He left participate in projects. times when his enthusiasm for one project behind his wife Tressa, his eight-year-old For those of us lucky enough to know kept him from working on his own thesis as son, Conner, and his three-month-old, him, Mike was (to paraphrase him), “a win- when he spent a week with Keith Meverden Caitlyn. win situation.” He could see the connections on Currituck Sound instead of trolling for The sickness was an on-going struggle between sunken vessels, haz-mat, regional a wreck down in Beaufort. In the midst of that interfered with his work for NOAA’s modeling, and students better than anyone. that, he was creating his own PVC ROV RUST Program. Despite being sick, Mike I can hardly think of anyone with his happy out of scrap materials. As we were look- still came into work three days a week. He outlook on what could be done that would ing into the earth, we saw the fiery trail of a was one of those lucky individuals who work out well for everyone, and with mutual shuttle launching that July. It was so far away, ended up in a job he really liked. It took benefit to all. it looked like a July 4th rocket but it never him almost a year to land that job after he Mike was one of “my” students at ECU. stopped climbing, something a lot like Mike finished his degree. Once he got there, he What that meant, is that he taught me a lot who was blessed with an incredible curiosity.

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2418 Stem to Stern • Preserving the Memory of the Battle of the Atlantic through Maritime Archaeology If asked how long it would take Coastal Studies Institute, University of National Oceanic and Atmospheric North Carolina at Wilmington, Gray’s Reef Administration (NOAA) research vessels National Marine Sanctuary, the Georgia Joe Ferguson, Sam Gray and a fleet of ECU’s Aquarium, and The Mariners’ Museum. small coastal boats to reach British prop- The expedition, intended to survey and erty from Beaufort Inlet, NC, many would document the condition of vessels sunk e n t e r simply scoff and say it was impossible. Due during the Battle of the Atlantic as well as C

to the warfare and destruction brought to the marine life present on these artificial e s o u r c e s R American waters during World War II by reefs, ran from August 10 to August 24 off m e r g e d b German U-boats, the answer is simply un- Beaufort, NC. This project shifted focus u

der an hour and a half or approximately 22 from last year’s survey of sunken German , NPS S miles. The “British property” at the end of U-boats to documenting Allied war casual- e y m o u r this short journey is the HMT Bedfordshire, ties. By request of the British Government, S r e t t one of a group of converted fishing trawl- the vessel slated for this year’s project was : B ers sent during World War II to help com- the HMT Bedfordshire. Researchers hoped p h o t o bat the U-boat threat in US coastal waters. to obtain information about the current Dr. Nathan Richards measuring wreckage on the Thanks to the torpedoes of the U-558, condition of the site that could contribute HMT Bedfordshire. fired on May 12, 1942, the remains of the to the well-known story of the Bedfordshire’s participants dove on the U-352 and U-85 Bedfordshire and the bodies of its 37 crew- sinking. Despite boat problems, a hurricane, and obtained corrosion measurements members would forever be interred far from schools of fish that prevented light from and water chemistry readings to establish home in the waters off North Carolina. reaching the wreck, and hoards of jellyfish, a benchmark with which to monitor the Several sailors whose bodies washed ashore enough dives were made to complete an ar- ocean’s effects over time. While twenty- rest in graveyards on the Outer Banks. It chaeological site plan of the ship’s remains. minute dives to 97 feet passed all too is in memory of these British Allies and On top of the archaeological recording, quickly, the information obtained from this their ill-fated story that this year’s NOAA scaled photographs were taken of wreck ele- project will help preserve the memory of Battle of the Atlantic Expedition took place. ments, comprehensive video was shot, and the Battle of the Atlantic; the sailors of the This was the second year of a multi-year biological transects were recorded to exam- HMT Bedfordshire, U-352, and U-85 live expedition hosted by NOAA’s Monitor ine fish species present. on, long after the wrecks are overtaken by National Marine Sanctuary, in conjunc- While the project revolved around the sea. tion with NOAA’s National Centers for documenting the Bedfordshire, several – John Wagner Coastal Ocean Science, the National Park Service, Minerals Management Service, the State of North Carolina, East Carolina Vasa Partnership Continues, continued from page 17 University, University of North Carolina will hopefully provide researchers at the Vasa Museum the opportunity to further understand Vasa’s construction and possible reasons behind its sinking. This opportunity to study the Vasa came not only with educational benefits but opportuni- For those readers who didn’t know ties providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Although students worked hard to complete the Mike, he was one of a kind. He was a non- course objectives and goals, they were given time for leisure and exploration. Students not only traditional student in just about every way got to walk the lower gun deck, but also were given the rare opportunity to traverse the entire possible. He was older, wry, and smoked vessel from poop deck to hold. A visit to artifact storage provided an exceptional glimpse into like a chimney. He also tended to finish pa- the vessel’s preservation and its contents, such as human brain tissue, shoes, and original sails— pers on time. Like most Maritimers, he was items that intimate the lives of those on board. Students were also treated to a luncheon with always willing to help, but he wasn’t pushy the Museum Director, who was greatly appreciative of our efforts and interests, as well as a pic- about it. He just saw a need and filled it. nic with the museum staff. Students explored local museums and other historic towns, learning We’ll miss Mike and we really hope about the rich culture, heritage, and history of Sweden. that NOAA will keep that position which We hope that Maritimers will return to Sweden in the summer of 2010 to continue record- is so helpful to students and researchers. ing the Vasa—a unique educational venture that has enriched the training of each student in- They have some really big shoes to fill. volved. – Larry Babits – Jennifer Jones

p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2519 The AbandonedWright’s Vessel Creek Complex

Wright’s Creek is located north of the junction of the Pamlico and Pungo Rivers, near Belhaven, North Carolina. The local community demonstrates long-standing ties to the land, some families holding deeds from the early nineteenth- century. Primarily a maritime community, residents have historically derived a large portion of their income from commercial fishing. In addition to commercial fishing, residents have a history of vernacular, backyard boatbuilding. Some vessels are still afloat, while others lie awash and deteriorating, evidence of hard times for commercial fishermen and the entire community. The spring 2008 survey of Wright’s Creek Abandoned Vessel 14. (l to r): Morgan MacKenzie, Jeannette Hayman, and Lyz Wyllie. Wright’s Creek concentrated on collecting data related to 13 abandoned the shallow embayments and deep mud local resident, who found the bow in such vessels’ physical remains. Aside from a large proved a hazard for the towfish. Dr. Nathan bad repair that it sunk, still attached to the iron barge, Fred W. Olcott, the majority of Richards experienced this first-hand, swim- dock, shortly after the transfer of ownership. the boats surveyed were wooden workboats ming through the tannin stained water to Interviews with local residents added ranging from 18 ft. to 60 ft. in to the archaeological research length Students involved in the “Recorders reveled in two days worth of cold water, undertaken for this project. project concentrated on record- chest-deep mud, and soggy sandwiches.” Since anonymity is frequently ing vessel dimensions, construc- a key component in disposal tion features, and evidence of free the remote sensing device. After evalu- processes concerning abandoned vessels, processes concerning purposeful vessel dis- ating the anomalies based on a presence it is often impossible to find marks to help card. Recorders reveled in two days worth of geometric patterns, nine proved worthy researchers identify boat owners or build- of cold water, chest-deep mud, and soggy of further research. Ground truthing took ers. By interviewing local residents, a more sandwiches. place in October 2008. Several students complete vessel history can be discovered. In August 2008, I conducted a side scan joined in exploring the dark, frigid creek In addition, local informants inform on the sonar survey, thanks in part to generous waters, discovering Vessel 14, a 28-ft. wood- behavioral processes concerning abandon- funding from North Carolina Sea Grant. en fishing trawler built by local resident ment procedures. Fortunately, many area We used a Klein towfish to remotely sur- Major Wilson Foster. Remaining anomalies residents volunteered family histories, as 2 vey the 1.21 mi project area, discovering included vessels unsafe to dive due to ad- well as photographs, contributing greatly more than 20 submerged anomalies. The vanced degradation. These include Vessel to our knowledge of the Wright’s Creek project was not without its difficulties, as 15, a 40-ft. wooden trawler purchased by a Abandoned Vessel Complex. – Jacqueline Marcotte

The MSA apparel order form is no longer available through Stem to Stern. We do know, however, that everyone needs Program in Maritime Studies apparel! Please visit the Program’s website http://www.ecu.edu/maritime/ or call 252-328-6097 for ordering information.

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2420 Stem to Stern • WawonaHistoric Schooner Sails Recorded into by History: ECU Goes to the Breaker’s Yard Early on the morning of March 4th, dollar fundraising cam- Seattle’s 112 year-old schooner Wawona was paign. Those funds simply towed to a local shipyard for deconstruc- could not be raised be- tion. Its departure marked the end of an era fore the ship would have as the region’s last wooden commercial sail- fallen apart and sunk at its ing ship became history. Although Wawona moorings. is now gone, the ship is not lost. In the end, During some very Wawona was actually ‘saved’— every de- somber discussions at tail of the schooner being exquisitely pre- Northwest Seaport, we served on paper and in digital media. Much decided that if we could of this vital work was performed by ECU not preserve Wawona e a p o r t

as a summer field project in 2008 and has in its physical form, our S since become a model for other maritime greatest obligation was to o r t h w e s t

museums struggling with seriously deterio- at least preserve it on pa- : N

rated vessels. per. Although I had done p h o t o

Wawona came very close to being a some vessel recording Wawona under full sail circa 1898 shortly after she was launched. Note the total loss. When Northwest Seaport hired work during my two years deck load of lumber. me to work on the project in late 2007, the at the Vasa Museum in outlook was bleak. A pair of marine survey- Stockholm, I had no formal training to do final construction details and led volunteer ors’ reports in 2005 showed that Wawona the work myself. However, I had observed crews in salvaging furniture and deck fit- had deteriorated beyond repair. Rotten an ECU field team recording Vasa’s beak- tings. Local shipwrights came aboard to planks and framing had seriously weakened head in December 2007 and knew they dismantle the interior paneling from the of- the hull and the stern was sagging precipi- were perfect for the job. ficers’ quarters. Massive planks of California tously. Historic vessel preservation experts Five months later, Dr. David Stewart redwood layered with ornate moldings were from across North America, carefully removed, crated gathering in Seattle for the “Ultimately, archaeological documentation is the only and stacked on Wawona’s Wawona Summit in 2005, way our nation’s historic ships can truly be preserved.” deck along with the bilge advised that the only options pumps, pocket windows, left for the schooner were complete restora- and six students flew in from Greenville cleats, and steering wheel. tion, placement under cover on shore, or with tripods, tape measures, and total sta- On the grey morning of March 4th, demolition. tion units to record Wawona’s interior struc- two tugs eased Wawona out of its slip to a To rebuild Wawona or place it ashore tures and framing. Previous documentation solemn farewell chantey and the tolling of was estimated to cost between $10 mil- efforts had only recorded the ship’s lines eight-bells from Lightship No. 83 (1904). lion and $20 million. By early 2008, fea- and deck plan. The most valuable informa- Surrounded by long-time supporters, local sibility studies were showing that it was tion pertaining to the actual hull design news media, and a flotilla of classic yachts, too late to mount such a multi-million and construction had never been put down Wawona glided out onto the lake with un- on paper. Within minutes forgettable grace and dignity. of coming aboard, the ECU Once in dry-dock, the documentation team was wriggling into ev- work continued with LIDAR laser scans of ery corner and hidden recess the ship’s exterior and a series of large for- to measure timbers and join- mat photographs sponsored by the City of ery that held her together. Seattle and performed by the National Park By the end of their stay two Service and ESM engineering. Then as the weeks later, we had gathered deconstruction work began, I took thou- enough information to fully sands of photographs of the process and reconstruct Wawona down measurements of construction details lo- o w e to tool marks left by Hans cated in previously inaccessible areas. Three H Bendixsen’s shipwrights weeks later, at 7:08pm on March 21st, the a t h a n i e l

: N more than a century ago. last portion of Wawona’s bow gave up the

p h o t o Over the next few ghost and an important chapter of maritime

Wawona’s deconstruction in drydock, March 2009. months, I recorded a few continued on page 22…

p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2521 PAST Foundation Publishes Wawona Sails, continued from page 21 Academic Work for Students heritage was closed. The loss of such a significant historic ship is certainly unfortunate. and Educators Alike However, its wooden hull was not destined to last forever. The fact that After toiling over thesis research and writing for months, ev- Wawona lasted 112 years (5 times her intended lifespan) is an impressive ery graduate student wonders the same thing: who will ever read feat. In the end, the ship was preserved not by shipwrights, but by ECU’s the fruits of my labor? Will it end up hidden away on some dusty enthusiastic efforts at rescue archaeology. Ultimately, archaeological docu- bookshelf? mentation is the only way our nation’s historic ships can truly be preserved. The PAST Foundation, based in Columbus, Ohio, exists to In Denmark where Wawona’s builder was born and trained, there is a ensure that doesn’t have to happen. A non-profit organization, blessing given when a boat is launched, “Ønsker jeg for båden, at den må PAST “was borne from the desire to offer accessibility for stu- blive hugget op og brændt.” –“My last wish for this boat is that it must be dents and researchers to publish their work without the hassle cut up and burned.” Seattle’s cherished tall ship Wawona has fulfilled that and cost of publishing warehouses,” says Dr. Annalies Corbin, tradition, serving a long and proud career until her aged timbers had noth- Founder and Executive Director. From these beginnings, Corbin ing more to offer. continues, “We have grown to publishing educational modules, – Nathaniel Howe reprints of out-of-print journals, and non-anthropological interest work for partners and the community.” Dr. Corbin, a nautical archaeologist and a Maritime Studies ECU Maritimers Receive Awards alumna (1995), oversees the organization’s daily operations. Dr. Dennis Aig, professor of Media and Theatre Arts at Montana Stem to Stern is proud to share the news of the following awards: State University-Bozeman and award-winning film producer The Program in Maritime Studies was part of a collaborative effort awarded and director, is the Head of the Documentation Unit, and Dr. by the Department of the Interior’s 2009 Partners in Conservation Award Sheli O. Smith brings a strong background in both archaeologi- (State of North Carolina) for the 2008 Battle of the Atlantic Expedition. The cal and museum work as the Director of Operations. A number project was led by the NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (ECU of other staff members and research associates are part of the Alums Joseph C. Hoyt , 2008 and Tane Casserly, 2005), with East Carolina PAST Foundation and help make up a diverse and professional University partners in the Program in Maritime Studies (Dr. Nathan resource for both anthropologists and educators. Richards and John Wagner)and the Institute for Coastal Science and Policy Using PAST as a resource, researchers can publish theses, (Steve Sellers) as well as the Minerals Management Service, the National Park dissertations, field studies, and educational programs. Cost is Service (Submerged Resources Center), the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, and low, formatting is flexible, and students can begin a career with the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute.” a publishing credit in their portfolio. Professors can also publish their own research, and create material for the classroom. Student Awards: Anthropology is the main field where PAST works to make original research available to both the public and educators. Moon Handbooks Fellowship Benjamin Siegel Educational programs, available through their website, in- R. N. Lokken Scholarship for Independent clude interesting and relevant subjects such as “Forensics in the Research in Early American History Benjamin Siegel Classroom” and “Garbology,” which explores global issues of Coastal Maritime Council Grant Elizabeth Wyllie waste management. In efforts to promote partnerships between Paul F. Murray Graduate Scholarship in History John Ratcliffe anthropologists and educators, “PAST has successfully brought history to living rooms and classrooms across the country.” Renci Visualization Challenge John Wagner These partnerships have resulted in exciting fieldwork as well. Admiral Eller Scholarship John Wagner PAST has worked with the California Park Service on a Gold ECU’s research week Joyce Steinmetz Rush Era shipwreck and in the Gulf of Mexico with the U.S. NASOH (North American Society for Oceanic History) Joyce Steinmetz Minerals Management Service (MMS) on deep-sea shipwrecks. As Dr. Nathan Richards of the ECU Program in Maritime R.N. Lokken Scholarship for master’s thesis prospectus Joyce Steinmetz Studies says, “Too many theses and dissertations suffer from North Carolina Sea Grant (fellowship) Lindsay Smith vitamin-D deficiency; written and secreted away to the dim halls Regional Phi Alpha Theta Marshall Lamm of academe, never to see the light of day again.” Richards recom- NASOH (North American Society for Oceanic History) Nathaniel Howe mends, “PAST is an opportunity that students shouldn’t miss in publicizing and disseminating their hard work to researchers, Council of American Maritime Museums peers, and employers with minimal effort and cost.” Leonard Rennie Grant Nathaniel Howe – Amanda Switzer and Stephanie Gandulla International Congress of Maritime Museums Richard Foster Bursary Grant Nathaniel Howe For more information, visit the PAST Foundation website North Carolina Sea Grant (research) Theresa Hicks at http://www.pastfoundation.org

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2422 Stem to Stern • Maritime Studies Association Underwater Hockey . . . Continues Student Support How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?

Once again, the Maritime Studies b l u Association (MSA) has worked hard pro- C o c k e y

viding Maritimers with funding for confer- H ences, fashionable apparel, and of course, n d e r w a r t e r

fun social gatherings. Since its inception, U MSA is charged with the official purpose u n n e r s of assisting students working toward de- R c h n i t z e r l o c k a d e

gree completion in the Maritime Studies S B a t e

Program at East Carolina University. This : K h a r l e s t o n includes raising funds and acting as a com- p h o t o : C Halloween revelry with Valerie Rissel, Ben Siegel,

mon voice for members. p h o t o and Rob Minford. With this task in mind, MSA began Underwater hockey players in action. the 2008-2009 school year with a successful “Welcome Aboard” party as a meet-and-greet Underwater Hockey is an activity you for the incoming Maritimers. To break up a stressful fall semester, students enjoyed a spirited may have never heard of, but let me assure Halloween party. Next, they demonstrated a record turn out at the SHA’s in Toronto, sporting everyone, you would love to play it. This the latest Program in Maritime Studies apparel. The annual “blackout party,” held to celebrate team water sport, reintroduced to ECU by completion of zero-visibility dive training, was a fun and appropriate outlet. The final social Maritime Studies Professor Dr. Lynn Harris, activity of the year was the traditional Tar River Float, led by the fearless Dr. Brad Rodgers. requires strength, speed, stamina, agility, As MSA gets underway this year with a new cabinet, members look forward to increased and a threshold for intense fun. Underwater funding for members, enhanced Hockey is slowly catching on in the United educational outreach, and mar- States, but a visit to YouTube proves that it has itime-themed social activities. gained a solid foothold in South Africa. The Graduate and Professional In this three-dimensional sport, the fast- Student Senate approved MSA’s paced play occurs under the water’s surface in budget for the 2009-2010 school a swimming pool. The object of the game is year. Funds from this budget to propel a lead puck along the bottom of the will help to cover registration pool with a stick and into the opposing team’s

a n d u l l a costs for students presenting at goal. The East Carolina Underwater Hockey G such conferences as Society of Club plays a modified version of the profes-

t e p h a n i e Historical Archaeology, North : S sional game with five players on each side, as

p h o t o American Society of Oceanic opposed to the standard six. The reason for History, and the Middle Atlantic Rob Minford and Stephen Dilk enjoy the Tar River float. Marshall this is that the game is so intense that there Lamm lurks in the background. Archaeological Conference. needs to be a substitute so the players may Public outreach contin- rest between points. The positions played at ues with interest from both graduate students and teachers from Greenville middle schools. ECU are two attackers, who flank the center, Already, MSA members have and two defenders taking up the rear. presented to an eager group of Dr. Larry Babits may be quick to claim 8–12 year olds at ECU’s Summer that rugby is the most intense club sport at Science Camp and to a keen ECU. Clearly, he has never been kneed in group of kids from the local 4-H the head while simultaneously being kicked organization. in the face with a fin. Underwater hockey – Nicole Wittig and requires more stamina than soccer, more finesse than lacrosse, and a lot of spirit. Stephanie Gandulla a n d u l l a G Join Maritime and other ECU students

t e p h a n i e at the next practice—every Friday from : S 6:00-8:00 pm at the SRC pool in the Student p h o t o MSA members Nicole Wittig and Jennifer Jones enjoy the Recreation Center. For more information, Blackout Party. visit www.usauwh.com or http://www.the- waa.org/. www.ecu.edu/msa – Rob Minford

p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2523 Ahoy Ahoy MatesMates! ! Welcome to ECU: New MA Students in the Maritime Studies Program Daniel Bera hails from Madison, Wisconsin. He received a BS in Anthropology/Archaeology in 2007 and a Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems in 2009, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has participated in field schools both on land and in the sea in Wisconsin, Spain, Italy, and most recently in Hungary. His interests include recreational reading, a n d u l l a

watching films, traveling, golf, and grilling. Danny is G also a devoted booster of the Packers, Brewers and t e p h a n i e

Badgers. : S

Saxon Bisbee has lived in Pennsylvania State Parks p h o t o his entire life, which began in 1986. In May 2009, he received his undergraduate degree, a BS in Marine New MA Students (Back, l to r): Dan Brown, John Bright, Matt McCarthy, Nathaniel Howe, Saxon Bisbee, Josh Biology with a minor in History, from St. Francis Marano, Will Schilling, Daniel Bera. (Front, l to r): Kathryn Cousineau, Mandy Switzer. Not Shown: Jeff O’Neill University in Loretto, PA. He traveled to Belize and the Galapagos in 2008 and 2009. He has a wide on social history and the British Empire at sea. She the Atlantic slave trade during the 17th and 18th cen- range of interests in maritime history, ranging from took six months off from her undergraduate stud- turies. In his free time, Matt enjoys playing basket- 20th century ocean liners, World War II, to the entire ies in 2004 to live and work in Sheffield, England. ball, surfing, and watching Florida football. age of steam, and most lately, Southern Civil War She became interested in archaeology after graduat- Ironclads. He hopes to continue his studies of mari- ing, and attended an archaeological field school of Jeff O’Neill is from Durham, North Carolina, time history at ECU as well as travel to new areas of University of Nevada-Reno at Virginia City, NV. but spent his early years in Wilmington where interest. Cousineau is interested in studying social history he fell in love with the ocean. He attended the with regards to maritime studies and nautical ar- University of Kansas where he studied Classics and John Bright was born and raised in Raleigh, North chaeology, focusing in and around the 18th century Anthropology; focusing on the Bronze Age Aegean. Carolina. He came to East Carolina in the fall of Atlantic World. Outside academics, her interests Jeff has always been interested in coastal North 2004 to begin work on a BA in Biology. Bright include diving, brewing quality beer, and her soon- Carolina and the west coast of Ireland. He entered graduated in December 2008 and took a position at to-be husband, Matt Cooper. the Maritime Studies Program to study vernacular the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. ship construction and evolution in both of these His interests in Maritime Studies and Nautical Nathaniel Howe grew up sailing in Seattle, areas. He is also interested in the maritime culture Archaeology come from a desire to learn about naval Washington. Taking an interest in preserving the and archaeology of these communities. Jeff’s other history and vessel modification, in particular during 1897 Pacific schooner Wawona, he went to Beloit interests include sailing his 1974 South Coast 22’ the First and Second World Wars, coinciding with College to earn his BA in History and Museum sailboat, restoring a 1948 Chevrolet Aerosedan, and the emergence of submarines as a significant naval Studies. While in college he also studied with learning the Irish language. force. Williams College at Mystic Seaport. After gradua- tion, Nathaniel spent two years at the Vasa Museum William Schilling IV was born in Pittsburgh, PA, Dan Brown was born in Reading, PA, and his in Sweden supported by Fulbright and Malmberg and graduated from Bucknell University in 2006 earliest memory is capsizing at the age of three. scholarships. In 2008, he returned to Seattle to orga- with a BA in Biology. He grew up in Pittsburgh and He moved to the urban suburbs of DC when he nize recording the schooner Wawona, direct extrac- worked in the admissions department at South was nine, where his family sailed the waters of the tion of artifacts, and oversee its deconstruction in University for the past year. William is interested in Chesapeake as often as possible. Dan’s early inter- March 2009. near eastern maritime archaeology and ancient trad- est in the sea was further piqued reading stories of ing. In his spare time, William enjoys swimming, explorers and famous seafarers. Dan earned his BA Joshua Marano was born in Fayetteville, North golf, skiing, and watching the Steelers and Penguins. Carolina, and earned his BA in History from East in English at University of Maryland - College Park Mandy Switzer in 2003 and also completed a TESL certificate at Carolina University. Josh has been a member of the is from Ohio, and a graduate of Interlingue in Rome, Italy. While he wasn’t teaching United States Coast Guard since 2006 and currently The American University in Washington, DC, high school English and coaching wrestling, Dan’s serves as a Second Class Petty Officer in the re- with a BA in History and a minor in Anthropology. love of travel filled his free time. Having eaten iguana serves. While at East Carolina, Josh has worked as a She is, by nature of living so close to Columbus, in Nicaragua and sipped Tokaj in gothic Hungarian veterinary technician, maintenance worker, resident an Ohio State fan, and by nature of having a father wine cellars, his travels caught the interest of an advisor, volunteer firefighter, safety inspector, office from Cleveland, an Indians fan; she accepts that her admirer and he was married a year later in 2007. worker, and administrative manager. Josh is inter- teams will never actually win the big games, but that Wanting a break from five years in public education ested in collecting and shooting various firearms, doesn’t stop her from watching. The granddaughter in Charlotte, Bowie, and Baltimore, Dan taught for the outdoors, paintball, and of course supporting his of a crewmember of the World War II US subma- Home & Hospital Tutoring, worked full time at Pirates! ARRGGHH!!! rine Barb (SS-220) she has always been fascinated by submarine warfare, especially during WWII in Trader Joe’s, and began work on a historical fiction. Matt McCarthy Dan’s other interests (besides sailing, writing and was born and raised a Florida the Pacific. She has developed the belief that while reading all-things-history) include rock-climbing, Gator fan in Gainesville, Florida. He received his BA other ships in other eras are nice, none are as cool as martial arts, cooking, home brewing, and spending in Anthropology from the University of Florida, as submarines. She has written many short stories in time with his wife. well as minors in Classics and Geography. In 2008, the fantasy genre and has completed the first of what he attended a study abroad program in Greece, and she hopes to be many books. When she isn’t reading, Kathryn Cousineau is from Sacramento, CA. She participated in a field school on Lake George in writing, or doing school-like work she pretends to went to University of California Berkeley and gradu- Florida excavating pre-Columbian Native American have a life. ated with a BA in History in 2008, with an emphasis sites. His primary interest is studying vessels used for

2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 24 Stem to Stern • Where are our Maritimers now? G Where are our Maritimers now? Kate Goodall (2003) – Assistant Director for Development, American Association of Museums, Washington, DC David Cooper (1998) – Resource Manager, Grand A Amy (Rubenstein) Gottschamer (1995) – Real James Allan, (1987) PhD Portage National Monument, Grand Portage, MN – Lecturer, St Mary’s estate broker, Santa Fe, NM, and Lawrence, KS Diane Cooper (1995) – Consultant, San Francisco College of California, Moraga, CA and Vice President, Jeff Gray (1998) – Superintendent, NOAA Thunder Maritime National Historic Park, San Francisco, CA William Self Associates, Orinda, CA Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Alpena, MI Evguenia Anichtchenko (2004) Annalies Corbin, (1995) PhD – Executive Director, – Curator of Joe Greeley (2000) – Site supervisor for the PAST Foundation, Columbus, OH History Education, Anchorage Museum of History Maryland Dove, St Mary’s City, MD and Art, Anchorage, AK Lee Cox (1985) – Director, Dolan Research, Inc., Cathy (Fach) Green (2003) – Education and Ray Ashley, (1996) PhD Newtown Square, PA – Executive Director, San Outreach Coordinator, Thunder Bay National Marine Diego Maritime Museum and Professor of Public Sanctuary, Alpena, MI History, University of California at San Diego, CA D Russ Green (2002) – Assistant Superintendent, Paul Avery (1998) – Commonwealth of Virginia Claire Dappert (2005) PhD – NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Prosecutor, Hampton, VA James P. Delgado (1986) – Director, Institute of Alpena, MI Monica Ayhens (2009) – PhD student, University of Nautical Archaeology, Texas A&M, College Station, Jeffrey Groszkowski (2007) – Fallston, MD Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL TX Alena Derby (2002) – Lake Worth, FL H Robert Dickens (1998) B – DVM, Cary, NC Richard Haiduven (2003) – Contract Archaeologist, David Baumer (1991) – Newport News, VA Jeff DiPrizito (2001) – High School teacher, Hudson, Miami, FL Dina Bazzill (2007) – Principal Investigator, NH Wesley K. Hall (1993) – Director, Mid-Atlantic Environmental Corporation of America, Alpharetta, Brian Diveley (2008) – Seattle, WA Technology, Wilmington, NC GA Tricia Dobbs (2009) – Stephen Hammack (2007) – Archaeologist, Robins David Beard (1989) – Assistant Director/Curator, Wade Dudley, (1998) PhD – Teaching Associate AFB, Warner Robins, GA Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Manitowoc, WI Professor, Department of History, East Carolina Lynn B. Harris, (1988) PhD – Assistant Professor, East Sam Belcher (2002) – Medical Technologist (ASCP), University, Greenville, NC Carolina University, Greenville, NC Laboratory Supervisor, Central Baptist Hospital, PhD Stan Duncan (1994) – Regional Sales Consultant, Margaret Harris (2004) student, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY – Education Program NUS Consulting Group, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN Director, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Kathryn Bequette (1992) – Director, Maritime Park, San Francisco, CA Archaeology and Research, OELS, Westminster, CO; Ryan Harris (2006) consultant with Denver Ocean Journey Aquarium E – Nautical Archaeologist, Parks Scott Emory (2000) – Cockeysville, MD Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Jemison Beshears (2001) – Antique firearms special- Jeff Enright (1999) Heather Hatch (2006) ist, Greg Martin Auctions, San Francisco, CA – Program Manager, Archaeology – PhD student, Texas A&M Jacob Betz (2004) – PhD student, Department of Division, BIO-WEST, Inc., Austin, TX University, College Station, TX History, University of Chicago, IL Jenna (Watts) Enright (2000) – Nautical Archaeol Robert Holcombe (1993) – Retired, Senior Naval Samuel Blake (2006) – Archaeologist, Southeastern ogist, PBS&J, Austin, TX Historian and Curator, Port Columbus Civil War Naval Archaeological Research, Inc., Jackson, NC Kim Eslinger (2005) – Marine Archaeologist, Center, Columbus, GA Joshua Howard (2004) Matthew Brenckle (2004) – Research Coordinator, Geoscience Earth and Marine Services, Houston, TX – Research Historian, Office USS Constitution Museum, Charlestown, MA of Archives and History, Raleigh, NC Joseph Hoyt (2008) Robert Browning, (1980) PhD – Historian, United F – Maritime Archaeologist, States Coast Guard, Washington, DC Sabrina S. Faber (1996) – Regional Programs NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, Newport News, VA Darryl Byrd (1998) – Linthicum Heights, MD Consultant, AMIDEAST, Sana, Yemen Michael D. Hughes (2003) Rita Folse Elliott (1988) – Curator of Exhibits and – Project Manager, SAIC, C Archaeologist, Coastal Heritage Society, Savannah, GA Washington, DC Patrick Fleming (1998) Frank Cantelas (1995) – Maritime Archaeology – Raleigh, NC Program Officer, NOAA Office of Ocean Explora tion, Richard Fontanez, MD (2001) – Contract Archae J Claude V. Jackson (1991) Silver Spring, MD ologist, Director of Instituto de Investigaciones – Museum Curator, St. Louis, MO Jodi Carpenter (2007) – Archaeologist, Parsons Costaneras, and Hyperbaric Medicine Facilities, Tiffany (Peccarero) James (2007) Brinckerhoff, Baltimore, MD Medical Center, Puerto Rico – Senior Archae Paul Fontenoy, (1995) PhD ologist and Principal Investigator, ENTRIX, Inc., Salt Chris Cartellone (2003) – PhD student, Texas A&M, – Curator of Maritime Lake City, UT College Station, TX Research and Technology, NC Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NC Brian Jaeschke (2003) – Registrar, Mackinac Island Tane Casserley (2005) – Maritime Archaeologist, Chris E. Fonvielle, Jr. (1989) PhD State Historic Parks, Mackinac Island, MI NOAA’s Maritime Heritage Program, Alpena, MI – Assistant Professor, UNC-Wilmington, Wilmington, NC John O. Jensen, (1992) PhD – Lecturer in Maritime Joe Cato (2003) – Raleigh, NC Kevin Foster (1991) – Chief, National Maritime History, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA Robert Church (2001) – Senior Marine Archaeologist, Heritage Program, Washington, DC Doug Jones (2007) – Nautical Archaeologist, PBS&J, C&C Technologies Survey Services, Inc., Lafayette, LA Joe Friday (1988) – Sergeant, Greenville Police Austin, TX Brian T. Clayton (2005) – Department, Greenville, NC Rick Jones (1996) – Building Contractor, Palmyra, VA Wendy Coble (1998) – Owner, Historic Research and Adam Friedman (2008) – ORISE Fellow, FDA, Cultural Resource Services, Washington, DC Bethesda, MD Patrick Cole (1993) – Writer, Barcelona, Spain K Don Froning (2007) – Marine Corps Forces Pacific, John Kennington (1995) Edwin Combs, (1996) PhD – Visiting Assistant Pro – Assistant Director of Camp H. M. Smith, HI fessor, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS Operations, BuzzCard Center, Georgia Institute of Michael Coogan (1996) – Manager, Strategic Technology, Atlanta, GA Planning, Northrop Grumman IT, Herndon, VA continued on page 26… p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 25 Kurt Knoerl (1994) – Managing Director, The David Moore (1989) – Curator of Nautical Bradley Rodgers, (1985) PhD – Professor, Program Museum of Underwater Archaeology; PhD student, Archaeology, North Carolina Maritime Museum, in Maritime Studies, East Carolina University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA Beaufort, NC Greenville, NC Mike Krivor (1998) – Maritime Project Manager/ James Moore (2003) – PhD student, University of Jason Rogers (2004) PhD – Archaeologist, Alaska Principal Investigator, Southeastern Archaeolo gical Rhode Island, Kingston, RI Maritima, Dutch Harbor, AK Research, Inc., Pensacola, FL Scott Moore, (1992) PhD – Associate Professor and Filippo Ronca (2006) – Nautical Archaeologist, Parks David Krop (2008) – Conservation Project Manager, Chair, Department of History, Indiana University of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada USS Monitor, Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, VA Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA Matthew Russell (1995) – Submerged Resources Shawn Holland Moore (1998) – Volunteer and Com Center, National Park Service, Denver, CO; L munity Partner Coordinator, ECU Volunteer and PhD student, UC Berkeley, CA Danielle LaFleur (2003) – Collections and Service-Learning Center, Greenville, NC Technology Manager, Lakeshore Museum Center, Stuart Morgan (1985) – Public Information Director, S Muskegon, MI South Carolina Association of Counties, Columbia, John Schaefer (1994) – School teacher, Washington, Matthew Lawrence (2003) – Maritime Archaeologist, SC NC; PhD student, UNC-Chapel Hill Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, Jeff Morris (2000) – Owner/Senior Scientist, James Schmidt (1991) – Nautical Archaeologist, MA Azulmar Research, LLC and Geomar Research, LLC, Naval Historical Center, Washington, DC Adam Lehman (2006) – Whitsett, NC Columbia, MD Robert Schneller, (1986) PhD – Historian, Naval Jason Lowris (2000) – John W. (Billy Ray) Morris (1991) – Owner and Historical Center, Washington DC Wayne Lusardi (1998) – Michigan’s State Mari Director, South Eastern Archaeological Services, Inc., Ralph Lee Scott (1979) – Professor, Curator of time Archaeologist, Thunder Bay National Marine St. Augustine, FL Printed Books and Maps, Joyner Library, East Carolina Sanctuary, Alpena, MI University, Greenville, NC N Sami Seeb (2007) – Submerged Resources Center, M Adrienne (Askins) Neidinger (2000) – National Park Service, Denver, CO Coral Magnusson (1993) – Archaeological Research Sam Newell (1987) – Public school teacher, Joshua Smith, (1997) PhD – U.S. Merchant Marine Institute, Honolulu, HI Greenville, NC Academy, Kings Point, NY Richard Mannesto (1993) – Great Lakes Shipwreck Kevin Nichols (2002) – Intelligence Research Travis Snyder (2006) – MFA student, ECU Program Historical Society, Sault Ste. Marie, MI Specialist, Department of the Army; PhD student, in Wood Design, Greenville, NC Eleftheria Mantzouka (2004) – Underwater Wayne State University, Detroit, MI Chris Southerly (2003) – Archaeologist/Field Archaeologist, Athens, Greece Director/Diving Safety Officer, NC Underwater Tom Marcinko (2000) – South Carolina Department O Archaeology Branch - Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC Chris Olson (1997) – Curator, Minnesota Trans Project, Kure Beach, NC Amy Jo (Knowles) Marshall (1996) – Curator, portation Museum, Railroad and Minnetonka Kathy A.W. Southerly (2006) – Assistant Dive Safety Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Copper Divisions, Excelsior, MN Officer, Fort Fisher Aquarium, Kure Beach, NC Center, AK Deirdre O’Regan (2001) – Editor, SEA HISTORY; James Spirek (1993) – Underwater Archaeologist, SC Timothy Marshall (1999) – Cultural Resources Vice President National Maritime Historical Society, Institute of Archaeology & Anthropology, Columbia, Specialist/Post Historian, Ft. Wainwright, Fairbanks, Pocasset, MA SC AK Deborah Marx (2002) – Maritime Archaeologist, T Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Scituate, P Jason Paling (2003) – PhD student, Department of Bruce Terrell (1988) – Chief Historian and Maritime MA Anthropology, State University at Albany, Albany, NY Archaeologist, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Roderick Mather, (1990) PhD – Associate Profes Harry Pecorelli III (2003) – Sub-Oceanic Technol Program, Silver Spring, MD sor, Department of Archaeological Oceanography, ogies, Inc., Charleston, SC William H. Thiesen, (1993) PhD – Atlantic Area His University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI Martin Peebles (1996) – Archaeological Illustrator, St. torian, United States Coast Guard, Portsmouth, VA Christopher McCabe (2007) – Deputy State Petersburg, FL Bradley D. Thorson (1982) – Archaeologist, Georgia DNR, Coastal Underwater Jacqueline Piero (2004) Hans Van Tilburg, (1995) PhD – Maritime Heritage Archaeology Field Station, Savannah, GA – “enjoying life,” Newark, DE Andrew Pietruszka (2005) Coordinator, NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Peter McCracken (1999) – Co-Founder and Director, – PhD student, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY Program Pacific Islands Region, HI ShipIndex.org, Trumansburg, NY Ray Tubby (2000) Mike Plakos (2003) – Nautical Archaeologist Phillip H. McGuinn (2000) – U.S. Navy Civilian, Lusby, MD – Deputy Public Affairs Lex Turner (1999) – Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner - Larkin Post (2007) – Gartley & Dorsky Engineering Officer, U.S. Submarine Forces, Norfolk, VA; Naval PCMH, Greenville, NC & Surveying, Camden, ME Reserve Captain, U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Kenneth Tyndall (1988) – New Bern, NC Springs, CO Sarah Milstead Post (2007) – Program Manager, Salvatore Mercogliano, (1998) PhD – Instructor, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Rockport, ME Central Carolina Community College Adjunct Darren Poupore (2004) – Chief Curator, Biltmore V Christopher Valvano (2007) Professor, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Visiting Estates, Asheville, NC – PhD student, Lecturer, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Edward Prados (1993) – Country Director Michigan State University, Lansing, MI NC AMIDEAST, Sana, Yemen Ann Merriman (1996) – Chair and Administrative Franklin Price (2006) – Senior Archaeologist, Florida W Director, Maritime Heritage Minnesota, St. Paul, MN Bureau of Archaeological Research, Tallahassee, FL Daniel Warren (1998) – Senior Marine Archaeologist Keith Meverden (2005) – Underwater Archaeologist, and Houston Asst. Geosciences Manager, C & C State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI R Technologies Survey Services, Inc. Houston Office, David Miller (2005) – Instructor, Craven Community James R. Reedy, Jr. (1987) – Contract Archaeologist, Houston, TX College, Havelock, NC Beaufort, NC Sarah Waters (1999) – Visitor Experience Calvin Mires (2005) – Staff Archaeologist and Phillip Reid (1998) – Consultant, Wilmington, NC Coordinator, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Alpena, MI PhD student, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC William A. Robie, Jr. (1993) – Atlantic Beach, NC Gordon P. Watts, (1975) PhD – Retired from ECU Amy Mitchell, (1994) PhD – Assistant Professor, Todd Robinson (1998) – History Department 2001, Director, Tidewater Atlantic Research and University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL Instructor and Head Soccer Coach, James Island International Institute of Maritime Archaeology, Kimberly E. Monk (2003) – PhD student, Bristol Charter High School, Charleston, SC University, England Washington, NC continued on back cover… 2009 – 2010 e a s t c a r o l i n a university 2426 Stem to Stern • Student Archaeologists Investigate North Carolina’s Largest Ship Graveyard

From its incorporation in 1793 through the dawn of the 20th century, Elizabeth City was a growing metropolis in north- e l l eastern North Carolina. Access to two b a m p main transportation waterways, Albemarle C e t e r

Sound and the Dismal Swamp Canal via the : P

Pasquotank River, ensured that Elizabeth p h o t o City developed a rich maritime heritage that has persisted over two hundred years. Two barges abandoned above Elizabeth City, 0007PQR and 0008PQR were recorded in March by ECU students. Elizabeth City’s reputation as a maritime town is history, not to be forgotten and maritime interaction integral to its early baseline-offset measurements. Students also by those who remember and take pride in development. recorded, in detail, interior structures and the city’s lost maritime prominence. While Site reconnaissance completed on associated material remains such as steer- history has documented this maritime heri- January 25, 2009 located over twenty par- ing quadrants and machinery located in tage, the cultural landscape surrounding tially submerged vessels during a visual sur- and around the vessels. Site maps produced the city remains an untapped resource to vey, with evidence of additional completely from this data provide modern visual rep- supplement this record. Empty warehouses submerged vessels. Maritime students car- resentations of vessel remains and demon- with broken windows, decrepit wharves ried out a Phase II, non-disturbance survey strate abandonment signatures and behav- and docks, rusting marine railways that on fifteen of these vessels on March 21 and iors at work on each vessel. disappear into the murky depths of the 22, 2009 for Dr. Nathan Richards’ Research Students were also responsible for re- Pasquotank, and abandoned ships litter the Methods in Nautical Archaeology class. searching and writing a site report for their river banks. These relics evoke memories of Working in pairs, students conducted designated vessel. They conducted histori- the once thriving maritime culture that built individual site inspections to produce an cal research to compile information and cre- and sustained Elizabeth City. accurate scaled drawing of their assigned ate a timeline of Elizabeth City’s maritime The main vestige of the city’s economic sites. These inspections included recording past. Participants wrote fourteen detailed development is a complex of at least thirty diagnostic elements, observing construc- site reports using the city’s developmen- abandoned ships known as the Elizabeth tion methods and abandonment signatures, tal chronology to identify how trends in City Ships’ Graveyard. Analyzing the cir- photographing vessels, and collecting GPS maritime related activity are reflected in the cumstances surrounding the creation of this coordinates at each location. abandonment complex. The Underwater abandonment assemblage provides insight Teams approached recording with Archaeology Branch has added these re- into the city’s decline and illuminates his- similar methodologies. Most established ports to their database of North Carolina toric trends in technology, the economic a baseline along the length of the vessel, maritime sites. environment, prevailing social behavior, either inside or outside the hull, to take The Elizabeth City Ships’ Graveyard in the Pasquotank River represents the larg-

Remains of a possible WWI ferrous ship, designated 0001PQR by the Underwater Archaeology Branch. est assemblage of abandonments found to date in North Carolina. Over the past ten years, East Carolina University maritime students and faculty have investigated abandoned boat graveyards on the Pamlico, Pungo, and Cape Fear Rivers. This investigation will extend the previous work to the Pasquotank River. The forthcoming thesis on the Elizabeth City Ships’ Graveyard aims to supplement Elizabeth City’s established maritime history, expand archaeologists’ knowledge of abandonment patterns seen

a r c o t t e throughout North Carolina, and contribute M to existing worldwide archaeological re-

a c q u e l i n e search on abandoned vessels. : J

p h o t o – Lindsay Smith p r o g r a m in m a r i t i m e s t u d i e s 2009 – 2010 • Newsletter 2527 Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 110 Greenville, NC Stem to Stern Program in Maritime Studies Admiral Ernest M. Eller House East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858-4353

Andrew Weir (2007) – Cultural Resources Group, Jackson, MI Wilson West, (1985) PhD – Policy Advisor, Office of the Fairness Commissioner, Toronto, Canada Robert Westrick (2001) – Marine Archaeologist, C & C Technologies Survey Services, Inc., Lafayette, LA David Whipple (1993) – Alexandria, VA Heather White (2004) – Director of Education & Outreach, Emerge Gallery & Art Center, Greenville, NC Scott Whitesides, (2003) – Archaeologist/Curator, Golden Spike National Historic Site, Brigham City, UT Elizabeth Whitfield (2005) – “living life to the fullest and loving it,” Lakewood, CO Kimberly Williams (2000) – History Professor, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL Stephen Williams (2004) – PhD student, Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene, NH Sarah Wolfe (2001) – Exhibit Registrar, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, VA Steve Workman, (2002) PhD – Director of Admissions and Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA e n g i e z a . L Y T Wilson York (2007) – PhD student, Emory o s e p h

: J University, Atlanta, GA p h o t o

Maritime Studies graduates!

Please let us know if your name is not on the list or The Niagara anchored by her best bower on a placid summer evening. if we need2009 to –update 2010 your current status. e a s t c a r o l i n a university 24 We would love to hear from you! Stem to Stern •