Parallels in History: Shipwreck Salvage and Exploitation of Archaeological Resources in Florida and Aruba

Author(s): Melissa R. Price

Year: 2018

Summary

Beginning in the 1950s, Florida witnessed a fascinating and tumultuous series of events concerning the salvage of historic shipwrecks. Before the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987, many historic shipwrecks in Florida were actively salvaged with little regard for their archaeological value. Currently, Aruba is experiencing similar salvage activity coupled with a lack of comprehensive legislation that protects terrestrial and submerged archaeological sites. This paper draws parallels between mid-20th century Florida and present-day Aruba in regards to legal frameworks put in place to protect cultural resources. It examines Florida's legislative accomplishments concerning salvage of historic shipwrecks and presents a potential model for the future of Aruba’s cultural resources laws as they pertain to both submerged and terrestrial sites.

Cite this Record

Parallels in History: Shipwreck Salvage and Exploitation of Archaeological Resources in Florida and Aruba. Melissa R. Price. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441586)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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): 959