Updates and Progress of the Ongoing Public Oriented Cultural Resource Monitoring Program

Summary

Scattered near the coastline of Assateague Island, along the Maryland/Virginia border, hundreds of ships met their demise through harsh weather conditions and treacherous shoals. Similar environmental factors have allowed archaeologists to document and collect data on these sites through the establishment of a Historic Wreck Tagging Program. The author, working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, developed and implemented a system to track the degradation and movement of shipwreck timbers as a means to manage cultural resources through public participation. Each timber is documented and given a tag, which contains a quick response (QR) code and web address that the public can easily access. This technological feature sends a digital form from which real time data acquisition is provided to archaeologists. The wreck tagging has now been in existence for several years. As a result, the author will present findings and updates of the program.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Bones in the Sand: The Archaeology and Management of Beached Shipwrecks   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 447