Incorporating Environmental Data as a Tool for Site Management in the Blackwater River

Summary

The Blackwater River in Santa Rosa County, Florida, is host to many (at least 20 as of the writing of this paper) ship sites, as well as materials related to maritime infrastructure scattered throughout, much of which relates to Pensacola’s historic brick and lumber industry. Since the 1980s, the University of West Florida and Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research have been documenting these sites, which are generally well preserved as a result of low-speed hydrodynamics and high content of tannins. In an effort to help preserve these sites in situ, this study gathered environmental data in 2013, which included: water chemistry testing over a period of six months, monitoring sediment pins for sedimentation and erosion, and sediment core sampling. The data indicated some aspects of the river’s seasonal variation, hydrodynamic regimes, and geology. This information plays an integral role in developing well-informed site management decisions, from how to deal with materials in place,to proper treatments in a conservation lab.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Marine Geoarchaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-1,04