South Florida Shipwreck Research and Advancing Frontiers

Part of: Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

Over the past several decades a considerable amount of quality research has been conducted on shipwrecks in south Florida. This session focusses on some of the more recent research on south Florida’s shipwrecks and maritime heritage and the ways in which researchers are advancing frontiers in our knowledge of maritime history and its interpretation and protection, as well as how we are adopting and adapting new technologies to push those frontiers further.

Other Keywords
Photogrammetry • Spanish • Frontier • Florida • Reconstruction • Salvage • Looting • Goniometer • Public Outreach • Treasure Hunting

Temporal Keywords
Eighteenth century • 18th Century • 17th Century • Historic • Spanish colonial • 1830-1880

Geographic Keywords
North America • Coahuila (State / Territory) • New Mexico (State / Territory) • Oklahoma (State / Territory) • Arizona (State / Territory) • Texas (State / Territory) • Sonora (State / Territory) • United States of America (Country) • Chihuahua (State / Territory) • Nuevo Leon (State / Territory)

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-8 of 8)

  • Documents (8)
Documents
  • 3D Printing an Archaeological Site Map: Photogrammetric Recording and Printing of the Pillar Dollar Wreck (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Anne E. Wright.

    During the 2016 East Carolina University field school at Biscayne National Park, photogrammetric data was collected to 3D print a sitemap using a ZCorp 3D printer. This printer is a resin-based printer that uses a 24-bit color pallet to print a full range of color. In addition to Photoscan, this process utilizes a free, open-source 3D rendering and animation software called Blender to perfect  and render the model usable for 3D printing software. The sitemap was then 3D printed for use in the...

  • Discovered Repeatedly: A "Newcomers" Archeological Evaluation of Pacific Reef Wreck (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Madeline J. Roth.

    Home to over one hundred submerged archeological sites, Biscayne National Park sits at the northern end of the Florida Reef. As part of the Park’s ongoing efforts to study, interpret, and stabilize submerged resources threatened by intensified storm activity and looting, National Park Service personnel excavated the remains of a mid-nineteenth century composite ship during the summer of 2016. Colloquially termed "Pacific Reef Wreck" by treasure hunter Marty Meylach, the site has been the target...

  • The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon: Revisiting Unprovenienced Food Ways Artifacts from the Spanish Fleet Wrecks of Eighteenth Century Florida (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Olivia L. Thomas.

    The Spanish empire was the first European power to establish permanent settlements on several Caribbean islands and coasts of North America, that flourished as New World colonies and facilitated prosperous trade between the New and Old Worlds. The distance between Spain and the colonies led to differences in the lifestyles and customs of these frontier spaces. Archaeological investigations both on land and underwater have yielded numerous pieces of material culture, reflecting Spanish life and...

  • Educating Margaritaville: Maritime Heritage Outreach in the Florida Keys (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Della A Scott-Ireton. Nicole Grinnan. Franklin H Price. Brenda Altmeier.

    The shipwrecks of the Florida Keys draw tens of thousands of divers each year to see the remains our maritime heritage in warm, clear water. A long history of treasure salvage at some of these historic shipwreck sites has caused misconceptions about the real treasure of these shipwrecks: their connection to Florida’s history and development. Many public education and interpretation initiatives target divers to provide accurate information about the shipwrecks’ histories and roles as vibrant...

  • Mapping The Maritime Frontier: The Development Of Aids To Navigation, Risk Mitigation And The Maritime Frontier Of The Florida Keys. (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Joshua L. Marano.

    The physical landscape of the Florida Keys and its associated reef tract has forced a series of unique adaptations to manage the risk of utilizing the area. The study of human adaptation and modification of the area through the progress of systematic survey, the establishment of an Aids to Navigation (ATON) network, and the further development of maritime infrastructure could be interpreted as a means to measure human exploration and utilization of the maritime frontier. Furthermore, it...

  • Reconstructing the Pillar Dollar Wreck (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Dorothy L Sprague.

    A goniometer was used in situ to measure the curvature of the frames and the dimensions of the keel of the Pillar Dollar Wreck in Biscayne National Park, FL.  Using this information, an approximation of the hull shape and general curvature of the ship was generated in Rhino. The shape was rotated to an upright position based on the angle of the top of the keel as it lay in on the sea floor.  The data that was collected was used for an approximate reconstruction.  With a reconstructed keel, the...

  • A Training Site Of Sorts: Pillar Dollar Wreck Investigations in Biscayne National Park (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Jennifer F McKinnon.

    Two seasons of East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Archaeology field school have focused on the Pillar Dollar Shipwreck in Biscayne National Park. Named by locals after Spanish pillar dollar coins, the shipwreck was once a training site for treasure hunters in the 1960s. Despite suffering years of looting and treasure hunting, the shipwreck is remarkably robust with large sections of the structure buried intact. This paper presents the results of excavation and mapping on this...

  • Virtual Shipwrecks; Photogrammetry and User Interface Design in Archaeological Outreach (2017)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Sean C Cox.

    In the past decade, new software has made it easier and less expensive for archaeologists to use the tools of photographers and game designers to produce novel outreach tools with photogrammetry. Among these relatively new applications is the ability to create virtual worlds from photographic and video data. The public can now access a number of archaeological sites through game platforms, like Steam, using VR goggles and mobile devices to experience a site. This paper addresses means of...