DISCOVERED REPEATEDLY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTATION AND SITE RESTORATION OF PACIFIC REEF WRECK (BISC -29, 8DA11953) by Madeline J. Roth October 2018 Director of Thesis: Dr. Jennifer McKinnon Major Department: Program in Maritime Studies, Department of History Sitting at the northern end of the Florida Reef, Biscayne National Park is home to over 100 submerged archaeological sites. Part of the park’s ongoing efforts to study, interpre t, and stabilize submerged resources threatened by intensified storm activity and looting is the controlled excavation and in-situ preservation of previously disturbed sites. This thesis addresses the documentation and stabilization of Pacific Reef Wreck, a mid-19th century vessel targeted by both historic and modern salvage. Park employees have monitored Pacific Reef Wreck (BISC-029) since the 1970s, yet they have only conducted preliminary archaeological work and no detailed site report exists. Resource managers visiting the site have noted disturbance including sediment loss, prop wash, and looting, however National Park Service personnel have not recorded any quantifiable estimate of damage or data loss in annual reports. While preliminary baseline data suggest that the site remains in good condition despite a noticeable loss of overburden, there has been no collection of quantifiable data addressing deterioration, history, or vessel identity. As such, staff determined that BISC-29 would be the focus of NPS field operations during the summer of 2016. The aim of the 2016 fieldwork was site stabilization and data collection emphasizing vessel construction, nationality, and identity. The site, dated to the early 19th century, represents an important but little researched era of ship design and maritime commerce in park history. This thesis aims to analyze the results of the 2016 fieldwork in order to determine the site’s significance and to provide park staff with resources for public interpretation as well as park area usage during the early 19th century. Furthermore, this thesis addresses the ongoing issue of illicit salvage in park waters and the need for new management strategies of submerged cultural resources in Biscayne National Park. DISCOVERED REPEATEDLY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTATION AND SITE RESTORATION OF PACIFIC REEF WRECK (BISC -29, 8DA11953) A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of History East Carolina University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree Master of Arts in Maritime Studies by Madeline J. Roth October 2018 © Madeline J. Roth, 2018 DISCOVERED REPEATEDLY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTATION AND SITE RESTORATION OF PACIFIC REEF WRECK (BISC -29, 8DA11953) by Madeline J. Roth APPROVED BY: DIRECTOR OF THESIS: ____________________________________ Jennifer McKinnon, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: ____________________________________ Jason T. Raupp, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: ____________________________________ Wade Dudley, Ph.D. COMMITTEE MEMBER: ____________________________________ Charles Lawson, M .S. CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY: ____________________________________ Christopher Oakley, Ph.D. DEAN OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL: ____________________________________ Paul Gemperline, Ph.D. Dedication This work is for the field crew present at the very beginning of the project. In the words of Latour (2005:90), “we could attend, frame after frame, to the most incredible spectacle: truth being slowly achieved in breathtaking episodes without being sure of the result.” This work has become a confluence of factors, however, without your initial efforts, the stage would not have been set. Thank you. Acknowledgments This thesis was a highly successful exercise in pre-planning and quick turnarounds, but it would never have made it off the ground if not for such a formidable team backing it. Charles Lawson, head of Cultural Resource Management at BISC, deserves a personalized acknowledgment section for his efforts in making this thesis a reality. His assistance and guidance with the permitting, pre-project research, planning, funding, site photography, and artifact conservation was invaluable in making this project a success. Likewise, BISC NPS Archeologist Joshua Marano provided vital boating, mapping, and conservation services to the project. Aided by BISC VIPs, fellow NPS staff, and interns (including but not limited to Arlice Marionneaux, Gabe Taliaferrow, Caleb Henderson, Brett Lear, Lowell Evans, and Jessica Keller), the collective NPS/Biscayne crew deserves many thanks for their flexibility, energy, and persistent good humor. Dr. Kimberly Kasper also devoted precious time and resources to the examination of biological samples. Her work and help has been invaluable to this thesis. Finally, the staff and students of the Program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University deserve special thanks for their efforts. I want to sincerely express thanks to my thesis committee members—Dr. Raupp and Dr. Dudley—for their welcomed feedback and time. Allyson Ropp, too, deserves endless gratitude for her help and willingness to undergo a modern tarring for the sake of science. Finally, none of this would have been possible without the guidance of Dr. Jennifer McKinnon. Her support, feedback, and supervision were the driving forces behind completion of this thesis. Table of Contents Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................... v List of Tables............................................................................................................................ xi List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 Research Questions ................................................................................................................ 3 Justification ........................................................................................................................... 4 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 4 Current Site Management and 2016 Fieldwork ....................................................................... 7 2016 Research Methodology .................................................................................................. 8 Artifact Conservation and Site Sampling .............................................................................. 12 Reburial and Post-Fieldwork Condition Assessment ............................................................. 14 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 16 A Note on Vocabulary ......................................................................................................... 16 Chapter 2. Environmental and Historical Background .............................................................. 17 Environmental Background and Prehistory of South Florida ................................................. 17 European Exploration and Early Wrecking ........................................................................... 19 Establishment of the American Wrecking Industry ............................................................... 24 Aids to Navigation, the Decline of Wrecking, and Federal Management ............................... 28 Residential Development and Recreational Use .................................................................... 32 A Brief History of Pacific Reef and Pacific Reef Wreck ....................................................... 34 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 3. Management History............................................................................................... 38 Previous Site Work .............................................................................................................. 38 Current Management Strategy .............................................................................................. 42 Park Resource Management Staff and Stakeholders ............................................................. 45 Treasure Hunting in BISC ................................................................................................ 46 Critiques: In-situ Preservation and the Current Management Strategy ................................... 48 Similar Archaeological Work and Management Strategies .................................................... 49 Results: 2016 Fieldwork, Education, and Outreach ............................................................... 53 Conclusions and Recommendations ..................................................................................... 54 Chapter 4. Material Culture Analysis ....................................................................................... 56 Artifact Cataloging .............................................................................................................. 57 Organics (Bone, Fiber, and Wood) ....................................................................................... 58 Ceramics ............................................................................................................................