A Square Peg in a Round Hole: Wood Analysis from the Spring Break Wreck

Author(s): Lee A. Newsom; P. Brendan Burke

Year: 2019

Summary

This is an abstract from the "A Sudden Wreck: Interdisciplinary Research on the Spring Break Shipwreck, St Johns County, Florida" session, at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

This paper discusses results of wood analysis performed on samples taken from the Spring Break Wreck, a site comprised of articulated 19th century vessel remains located on Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Analysis included taxonomic assignments of individual hull components, along with observations on tree age, growth form, and growth-ring characteristics as they relate to timber/lumber production.  We consider species selection, economy of wood use, and possible location of ship construction based on materials sourcing. An attempt is made to identify landscape changes that may have affected the cultural milieu of the shipwright, influencing building methods and changing longstanding maritime traditions.

Cite this Record

A Square Peg in a Round Hole: Wood Analysis from the Spring Break Wreck. Lee A. Newsom, P. Brendan Burke. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, St. Charles, MO. 2019 ( tDAR id: 448950)

Keywords

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): 188