Geomorphology and Site Formation Processes of Three 19th Century Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico
Author(s): Michael Brennan; J. Ian Vaughn; Amy Borgens; James Delgado; Christopher Horrell; Frederick H Hanselmann; Jack Irion; Frank Cantelas
Year: 2015
Summary
The investigation of three early nineteenth century shipwrecks, believed to be contemporary with one another based on the artifact assemblages, was conducted in 2013 at over 1400 m depth in the northern Gulf of Mexico. High resolution mapping of the three sites was conducted from ROV-mounted stereo cameras and multibeam sonar, which produced photomosaics and microbathymetry maps. From these data, we can determine how sediment moved around each site and the geomorphology of the shipwrecks following them coming into equilibrium with the marine environment. Additionally, sediment push cores were collected from the Monterrey A wreck site as well as 60 m away. Geochemical analyses showed copper and lead leached into the sediments adjacent to the wreck from the chemical dissolution of the copper sheathing of the hull, which may impact the biology that has colonized the site.
Cite this Record
Geomorphology and Site Formation Processes of Three 19th Century Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico. Michael Brennan, J. Ian Vaughn, Amy Borgens, James Delgado, Christopher Horrell, Frederick H Hanselmann, Jack Irion, Frank Cantelas. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Seattle, Washington. 2015 ( tDAR id: 434213)
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Keywords
General
Geochemistry
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geomorphology
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Shipwreck
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
19th Century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 463