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Intellectual Treasure Hunting Measuring Effects

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Intellectual Treasure Hunting Measuring Effects INTELLECTUAL TREASURE HUNTING MEASURING EFFECTS OF TREASURE SALVORS ON SPANISH COLONIAL SHIPWRECK SITES by Melissa Rae Price December, 2015 Director of Thesis: Dr. Jennifer McKinnon Major Department: Program in Maritime Studies of Department of History This thesis examines the impacts of treasure salvors and looters on the Pillar Dollar Wreck (site # BISC00035) in Biscayne Bay, Florida, and explores three comparative shipwrecks from the 1733 fleet, El Populo, San José, and San Pedro, which wrecked off the coast of Florida and were likely from a similar time period as the Pillar Dollar Wreck. The intention of this thesis is to develop a methodology for measuring the effects of cultural impacts, particularly treasure salvage and looting, on Spanish colonial shipwreck sites in the Florida Keys. There is no current basis for quantifying such effects. Further, this thesis presents the first focus on the history of the Florida Exploration and Salvage (now Recovery) Program. The information presented in this thesis is used to identify what was learned from treasure salvor endeavors on Spanish colonial shipwreck sites in the Florida Keys and examine what an academic investigation of the treasure salvor industry can reveal about what is lost or gained through commercial exploitation of Spanish colonial shipwrecks in the Florida Keys by treasure salvors. Site formation process studies provide the theoretical framework upon which this thesis is founded, creating an understanding of the processes that created and altered the four shipwreck sites. This study adds to the database of knowledge about site formation processes on Spanish colonial shipwrecks in the Florida Keys. Finally, cultural heritage management is a relevant topic that is currently at the forefront of maritime archaeology. This thesis contributes to the database of information concerning protection of sites and specifically explores management issues related to treasure salvage of Spanish colonial shipwrecks in the Florida Keys. Key Words: Treasure salvage, Florida Keys, Pillar Dollar Wreck, 1733 fleet, Spanish colonial shipwrecks, site formation processes, cultural impacts, artifact analysis, cultural heritage management INTELLECTUAL TREASURE HUNTING MEASURING EFFECTS OF TREASURE SALVORS ON SPANISH COLONIAL SHIPWRECK SITES A Thesis Presented To the Faculty of the Program in Maritime Studies of Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Maritime Studies by Melissa Rae Price December, 2015 i © Melissa Rae Price, 2015 ii INTELLECTUAL TREASURE HUNTING MEASURING EFFECTS OF TREASURE SALVORS ON SPANISH COLONIAL SHIPWRECK SITES By Melissa Rae Price APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ______________________________________________________________________ (Jennifer McKinnon, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: ________________________________________________________ (Bradley Rodgers, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ (Lynn Harris, Ph.D.) COMMITTEE MEMBER: _______________________________________________________ (Della Scott-Ireton, Ph.D.) CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: _________________________________________________________________ (Christopher Oakley, Ph.D.) DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: _________________________________________________________ (Paul J. Gemperline, Ph.D.) iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my parents, first and foremost, for believing in me throughout my endeavors in graduate school. Without their unrelenting support, I never would have gotten this far. As the only person in my extended family to seek a Master’s Degree, I hope I have made them proud. Thanks Mom and Dad. I would like to extend my interminable gratitude to Dr. Jennifer McKinnon for her expertise and guidance throughout the thesis-writing process. Her support and patience kept me on track, even when I felt particularly stressed. My sincere gratitude also goes to the other members of my committee, Dr. Bradley Rodgers, Dr. Lynn Harris, and Dr. Della Scott-Ireton, for donating their precious time in order that I receive thesis revisions ahead of schedule. I must thank those individuals with Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research, Southeast Archaeological Center, and National Park Service in Biscayne Bay. They graciously made their time available to me as I asked many questions pertaining to the 1733 fleet and Pillar Dollar Wreck, collected thousands of scans of documents, and examined and photographed artifacts. Thank you also to Susanne Rawson and Dr. Tom Fink for their expertise concerning processing and identification of artifacts collected during the 2014 field season. And last but certainly not least, thank you to my fellow classmates for helping me collect data during our 2014 fall field school in Florida and for providing me with much-needed distractions and outlets for de-stressing. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................iv List of Tables...............................................................................................................................xi Table of Figures....................................................................................................................... xiii Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... xvii 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Research Questions .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................................. 2 1.3 Salvage versus Archaeology ..................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Salvage Law ................................................................................................................................. 4 1.5 Florida Exploration and Salvage Program ............................................................................. 6 1.6 Case Study: The Pillar Dollar Wreck ...................................................................................... 8 1.7 Comparative Studies: The 1733 Fleet ...................................................................................... 9 1.8 Background Literature ............................................................................................................. 12 1.9 Methodological and Theoretical Approach......................................................................... 13 1.9.1 Literature Review................................................................................................................ 13 1.10 Archaeology: The Pillar Dollar Wreck ............................................................................... 14 1.11 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 17 2 Review of Publications...................................................................................................... 18 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Ethics in Archaeology .............................................................................................................. 18 2.3 Archaeologists on Treasure Salvors ...................................................................................... 20 2.4 Site Formation Processes Literature Review ....................................................................... 27 v 2.5 The Geography and Environment of Florida ...................................................................... 34 2.6 Site Formation Processes on Spanish Colonial Shipwrecks ............................................ 39 2.6.1 Difficulties of Distinction................................................................................................... 41 2.7 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 42 3 Historical Background....................................................................................................... 43 3.1 The Pillar Dollar Wreck............................................................................................................. 43 3.2 The 1733 Fleet ............................................................................................................................ 45 3.2.1 Salvage in Antiquity ........................................................................................................... 49 3.2.2 Salvage in Modernity ......................................................................................................... 50 3.3 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................. 52 4 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 53 4.1 Comparing Treasure Salvor Reports to Archaeological Reports..................................... 53 4.2 Site Formation Impacts on the Shipwrecks........................................................................
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