Maritime Christmas!!

This past Saturday, MSA hosted at Crossbones Tavern in downtown Greenville their annual Christmas party. The party was time to bring everyone together to enjoy everyone's company prior to the holidays and de-stress from the long and crazy semester. All who turned out showed up in the most festive spirit and happily enjoyed everyone's company. Thanks to Crossbones for hosting our event and making it possible for everyone to enjoy each other's company and the holiday season! Happy Holidays everyone!

Magnetometry Workshop

On Tuesday, November 17th, Adam Parker, a current graduate student in the Program of Maritime Studies, led a workshop on remote sensing focusing on magnetometry and the HyPack software. Although a small group, the students discussed what magnetometry is and how it differs from side scan, how the tow fish is set up and deployed in the water, and the means to analyze the data gathered from the tow fish. Thanks Adam for taking time out your busy schedule to educate our students in a such an exacting and useful art of remote sensing.

A Maritimer's Halloween

This year the Halloween Party returned to Dr. Bradley Rodgers house. He graciously offered his home and fire pit to a host of costumed individuals. The costumes showed a wide range of creative. Everyone from Mis. Steak to Kim Possible to Hawkeye and an elephant and his rider made their presence. Two ring masters even graced us. Thanks Dr. Rodgers for opening your doors to us.

ArcGIS Workshop

Yesterday, MSA provided a learning opportunity for students in the program. In an afternoon, students learned about ArcGIS. They learned how to run basic operations, from making maps with unique data points to analyzing the information once the maps were complete. The turn out was so great that some students only had the opportunity to watch and learn. Special thanks to Adam Parker and Jeremy Borrelli for taking time out of their busy schedules to introduce our students to ArcGIS and being available to answer any questions the students had about the computer program and its uses in archaeology.

International Archaeology Day

On October 17, the world celebrated International Archaeology Day. It was a day to help spread interest in what archaeology is and what archaeologists do to the public. To celebrate, MSA members along with CSI and the QAR Conservation lab were invited by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to the OBX Seafood Festival in Nags Head. The public outreach event reached about three hundred people and shared our love of archaeology with the public. The event allowed us to explain what underwater archaeology is, the different technologies behind it, and create interest among kids in pursuing history and archaeology. Special thanks to Monitor's Kara David and Will Sassarossi for organizing the event and inviting us down. Also, a shout out to Dr. Nathan Richards for allowing us to stay at his house, so we could make it to the event.

MSA members Lauren Christian, Katie Clevenger and Bettie Pratt sharing our program with some interested people.

Dr. Nathan Richards explaining side scan sonar images to the public. 

Fall Field Schools

This last month, our second years split up to conduct research in the fall field schools. One group, under the guidance of Dr. Bradley Rodgers and DSO Mark Keusenkothen, traveled to Wisconsin to conduct a phase II pre-disturbance survey on Fleetwing. Fleetwing is a schooner built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1867. The group--Katie Clevenger, Lauren Christian, Kelsey Dywer, Mitch Freitas, Victoria Kiefer, and Sydney Swierenga--documented five pieces of the wreck to compare them to previous mapping done on the site. While there, the students also got to explore the stunning country side of Wisconsin and shipwreck trials established by the state.

Swierenga recording a section of Fleetwing

Garrett Bay

The second field school stayed in North Carolina and explored three different sites in different creeks off of the Pamlico River. The students--Elise Carroll, Jim Kinsella, Patrick Merrigan, Bettie Pratt, Allyson Ropp, Sara Spatafore, and Devin Urban--split into three groups each taking a creek. Under the guidance of Dr. David Stewart, each site was recorded as best they could be in the black muddy waters of the Pamlico. The sites included a logging containment area, a centerboard schooner, and a flat bottom vessel. While the students were limited by the conditions of the Pamlico River area, they practiced different techniques of recording and surveying, such as side scan sonar, and dealt with sites many did not know of.

Dr. Stewart driving the boat

Students watching sonar feed, looking for potential targets

Scenic view of Blounts Creek

River Float

To close out the first week events, MSA hosted a float down the Tar River. All were welcome to come and slowly drift down the Tar River. Over the afternoon, we relaxed and joked around before fully breaking into the semester. Thanks to Dr. Bradley Rodgers for towing us to our end point!

Welcome Aboard

After surviving the first week of school, MSA hosted the Welcome Aboard Party to welcome in the new first year students. This opportunity allowed the new students to meet those returning as well as professors; the Dean of the Graduate School, Dr. Paul Gemperline; and the conservators from the Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab, Sarah Watkins-Kenney, Courtney Page, and Kimberly Kenyon. The party provided the opportunity to relax from the first week of school and a fun and inviting environment to make useful contacts and discuss potential work. Thanks to everyone at Eller, Emily Schwalbe, and Elise Carroll for hosting us!

Costa Rica Field School

For the past month, our first year students along with their professors, Dr. Lynn Harris and Dr. Nathan Richards, and crew chiefs Jeremy Borrelli, Hannah Piner, and Melissa Price participated in summer field school in Costa Rica. The team was there to document two wreck sites in Cahuita National Park, Cahuita, Costa Rica. One site was made up a 13 different cannon and two anchors, which were all mapped into place. The other site was a brick pile that stretched about 50 meters and two cannon. These ships may be two Danish slave ships burned and wrecked by the crew who missed their target location in the Caribbean Islands. A third site was mapped and examined in Puerto Viejo, El Lanchon. This site represents a barge used in constructing the Panama Canal and was left in Costa Rica following its use.
Besides documenting the sites, the students photographed maritime art work throughout Cahuita and Puerto Viejo to see how maritime society infiltrates societal values and lifestyle. They also had the opportunity to document small boats, in particular the unique fishing boats of the community, including the boats used for diving.
To finish the project, students and crew chiefs presented the findings of the project to the community and to students at a local high school. They also wrote up a report upon returning to the States.
Read more about the project at the project's blog: http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/hist5530/, and look forward to a session at SHA in Washington DC this year focusing on our adventures in Costa Rica.

The students would like to thank the professors and crew chiefs for putting up with us and teaching us about the numerous steps to completing a full project. We would also like to thanks Jason Nunn for accompanying us as our DSO.

Brick site

Cannon site

El Lanchon

Local Maritime artwork

Students working hard mapping the brick site

Scientific Diving and Field School Prep

Over the last few weeks since the semester ended, our members have been participating and leading training exercises in scientific diving to help the first years finish their check out dives and get ready for the field season in Costa Rica. We conducted the scientific diving check out dives at Fantasy Lake, a quarry northeast of Raleigh, along with two wreck sites, Indra and USS Pickett. Through these dives, our first years learned search and navigation techniques as well as finished training for dry suit, full face mask, and nitrox.

These dives led up to our first years preparing for field school this summer in Costa Rica. Through the past week, the field schoolers along with our crew chiefs-Hannah Piner, Melissa Price, and Jeremy Borelli-participated in lectures, hands-on learning activities, and snorkeling practice to prepare for the numerous tasks that field school will hold. More stories and pictures about field school will come as the project wraps up in a few weeks. If you would like to follow in the meantime, please follow the Costa Rica Field School blog at http://blog.ecu.edu/sites/hist5530/. Wish us luck as our members and students embark on a unique experience into Costa Rica.

Craw-fish Boil...Yum!!

On Saturday, MSA hosted their first craw-fish boil. Taking place as the semester is ending, the gathering allowed current students and facility along with alumni to come together, enjoy the spring weather, and eat tons of craw-fish. The craw-fish were accompanied by other delectable Cajun fare to help fuel our students for their final exams. The event also marked the end of this years activities hosted by MSA.

We would like to give our thanks to the McKinnons, who graciously welcomed us to their home to eat as well as providing the equipment and space to cook such great food. We would also like to thank Katie Clevenger and Nathan King for taking the time to plan and orchestrate the event (well mainly the cooking). Thanks for coming out!!

Black Out Course

This past weekend our first years went through the black out course, an annual tradition of training for black water dives. Each diver had to make there way through the pool in a blacked out mask. With the guidance of the older students, along with Mark and Jason, our DSO, each newbie made it through. Following the day of diving, the group got together to reminisce about the days experiences and about others experiences in the course. Now it's on to open water training, and field school in Costa Rica.

Thanks to Mark and Jason, along with the guardian angel divers, for making sure our first years are trained for the future.

Photogrammetry Workshop

To close out the workshops hosted by MSA this school year, Mateusz Polakowski taught a group of eager students about photogrammetry and 3D computer imaging. Matt took time out of his busy schedule to show how to construct a 3D image from photographs overlaid on one another in 123D. This program not only allows for measurements to be taken from the images, but also to provide an interactive image for public outreach.

Thanks Matt for all your help!

Seabiscuits and Bitters

The annual MSA fundraising event took place February 28 and featured a live band, multiple games, and delicious food! Everyone at MSA would like to thank Dr. McKinnon and her husband, Jason, for hosting the event at their beautiful home. A big thank you also to Martin County Ramblers for braving the chilly night and putting on a fantastic show! Thanks are also due to the numerous businesses around Greenville that donated gift cards and prizes for us to raffle off.

We had a wonderful turnout, everyone worked hard, and MSA raised money that will go towards funding students in the graduate program.

MSA would also like to welcome its new officers, who took over after Seabiscuits:
President: Katie Clevenger
Vice President: Emily Schwalbe
Treasurer: Scott Rose
Secretary: Bettie Pratt
Historian: Allyson Ropp
Dive Liaison: Mitch Freitas

ArcGIS in Eller House

Each year, MSA tries to host a few workshops that provide the Maritime Studies students with useful skills. In the past, the group hosted dendrochronology and Rhino3D workshops. This semester, Adam Parker took time out of his schedule to hold an ArcGIS workshop. Students who participated received an introduction to the program and practiced with georeferencing maps and plotting GPS points.

Thanks Adam for all your help!

SHA Conference 2015

"Peripheries and Boundaries" was the theme this year for the Society for Historical Archaeology annual conference.

Students and professors braved the chilly Seattle, Washington weather to represent the Program in Maritime Studies at SHA. Some of the students presented on the work they have done while attending ECU. Topics included archaeology on shipwrecks in South Africa and the Mediterranean. Students had the chance to view a wealth of presentations and network with professionals in the field, all while exploring Seattle and enjoying the food and sights.

Here's to another great SHA experience!