Abstract Hannah P. Smith. Revisiting the Port of Brunswick: A Research Design for the Waterfront of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Winnabow, North Carolina. (Under the direction of Dr. Charles R. Ewen) Department of Anthropology, 2014. Since the fall of 2010, a series of colonial period wharves and other features have been revealed as a result of erosion along the banks of the Cape Fear River at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Winnabow, North Carolina. These features have produced a considerable quantity of artifacts, but no formalized conservation plan has yet been developed for this area of the site. This proposed plan discusses the role of conservation at all stages of the archaeological processes, but focuses on the conservation needs of artifacts following excavation. Treatments for wood, ceramics, glass, leather, and textiles are discussed, as these are the major material types recovered along Brunswick’s waterfront. The treatment of a knit cap and two leather shoes are discussed in detail as three case studies for the application of this conservation plan. The treatment options discussed will provide a possible course of action for the treatment of artifacts from this site, as well as similar sites elsewhere in the United States and abroad. ! Revisiting the Port of Brunswick: A Research Design for the Waterfront of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Winnabow, North Carolina A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of Anthropology East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Anthropology By Hannah P. Smith April 2014 © (Hannah Pascale Smith 2014) Revisiting the Port of Brunswick: A Research Design for the Waterfront of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Winnabow, North Carolina By Hannah P. Smith Approved by: Director of Thesis_______________________________________________________________ Dr. Charles R. Ewen Committee Member_____________________________________________________________ Dr. Edmond A. Boudreaux Committee Member_____________________________________________________________ Susanne Grieve Rawson Chair of the Department of Anthropology____________________________________________ Dr. I. Randolph Daniel, Jr. Dean of the Graduate School______________________________________________________ Dr. Paul Gemperline Acknowledgements Many thanks go to Dr. Charles R. Ewen, my advisor and thesis committee chair. His guidance and expertise, both in the classroom and in the field have helped me develop as an archaeologist. He has provided many opportunities for me to learn new skills and develop those that I already possess. His input was integral to helping me to reduce my diverse experiences on Brunswick’s waterfront into the thesis that follows. Next, I would like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Edmond Anthony Boudreaux and Ms. Susanne Grieve Rawson. They have provided invaluable resources for the development of this thesis. This has included suggestions for refinement of my ideas and recommending references. Ms. Grieve has been especially supportive in the conservation lab when I am not quite sure what the next step in a treatment should be. This thesis would not have been possible without the help, information, and involvement of Jim McKee, Shannon Walker, Brenda Bryant, and many others at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site. A special thanks goes to Jim McKee. Without him, this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you for giving me a chance when we spotted that first barrelhead, and keeping me involved throughout this project. There is certainly more to be learned along the waterfront. Thanks also go to Shannon Walker for taking me on as a volunteer in the first place. I would have never thought that this is where I would end up. Additional thanks goes to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources for allowing me access to the cap and shoes for conservation and research. It was an honor to be allowed to conserve some of the rare finds from Brunswick. It is certainly not an opportunity many graduate students have. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for their guidance, support, and encouragement. To my parents, thank you for your support during the almost two decades of schooling, from kindergarten through this graduate program. I seem to have found my way back to something that interested me when I was much younger. Thank you to Thomas E. Beaman, Jr., of Wake Technical Community College and Dr. Vincent Melomo, of William Peace University, for allowing me the opportunity to run your field lab for the 2011 Field School. That was a learning experience in so many ways, and helped set me on this path. Further thanks go to Thomas E. Beaman, Jr. for guidance throughout my graduate experience, and the opportunities in the field that you have shown me. I appreciate the opportunity that Dr. Thomas Fink, Department of Biology, provided me by helping me with imaging my artifacts using both scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Access to these tools allowed me to understand my materials much more. I would also like to thank Dr. Lawrence Babits, emeritus professor of History, and Chris Grimes for their assistance in identifying the leather shoes and Brunswick Cap. Finally, my deepest gratitude also goes to Bryan Wiggins. Words alone cannot express what you have given me. Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 The History of Brunswick and Its Archaeological Past ...................................................... 1 Research Directive: A Waterfront in Crisis ........................................................................ 3 Chapter Outline ................................................................................................................... 4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter Two: Brunswick’s History ................................................................................................ 6 The Early History of the Cape Fear Region ........................................................................ 6 Brunswick: The Settlement of a Colonial Port Town ......................................................... 9 Brunswick’s Economic History, As Tied to the Cape Fear .............................................. 18 Fort Anderson ................................................................................................................... 23 Brunswick’s More Recent History .................................................................................... 27 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 28 Chapter Three: Archaeology at Brunswick ................................................................................... 29 Early Archaeology at Brunswick: Lee, Tarlton, and South .............................................. 29 Terrestrial Archaeology after South .................................................................................. 34 Waterfront Archaeology after South ................................................................................. 36 Waterfront Archaeology since 2000 ................................................................................. 38 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 48 Chapter Four: Theoretical Considerations for Conservation ........................................................ 49 Why Conserve Artifacts? .................................................................................................. 49 Archaeology and Conservation ......................................................................................... 51 Conservation in North Carolina ........................................................................................ 53 Office of State Archaeology, Underwater Branch at Kure Beach ........................ 53 Office of State Archaeology Research Center ...................................................... 55 Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory ................................................ 57 Brunswick’s Conservation Needs ..................................................................................... 58 Ceramics ............................................................................................................... 59 Glass ...................................................................................................................... 62 Wood ..................................................................................................................... 66 Leather .................................................................................................................. 69 Textiles .................................................................................................................. 74 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 78 Chapter Five: A Conservation Plan for Brunswick .....................................................................