Sinking into the Maritime Archaeology of the Ocean State: The Use of GIS to Analyze Rhode Island’s Submerged Archaeological Sensitivity

Summary

GIS has become a widely utilized tool for analyzing archaeological sensitivity. The state of Rhode Island has more documented shipwrecks per square mile than any other, making it an ideal place to develop an archaeological sensitivity model for submerged sites. In 2008, the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association started compiling a shipwreck database. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission has incorporated the database findings, documented submerged archaeological sites, and other data-sets into GIS so that information can be analyzed in a spatial manner.

Over 1,000 shipwrecks have been identified as a "total loss" and may prove to have archaeological remains present. More than 650 other documented wrecking events do not have enough information to determine if remains are likely, but with further research may prove significant. Integration of GIS data with the known shipwreck sites aims to advance knowledge of the Rhode Island submerged maritime landscape, which will ultimately assist in mitigation efforts during future development undertakings. This project investigates both the advantages and limitations of utilizing an archaeological sensitivity model for submerged cultural materials, and questions the opportunities and restrictions of a GIS based approach for analyzing shipwreck sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22061