Reduce Reuse Repurpose: Ships as landscape modification features

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Rebuilding The Alexandria Waterfront: Urban Landscape Development and Modifications" session, at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Ships were an inextricable part of Alexandria's commercial history, both as they traversed the water and as they sat under the waves. As part of Alexandria's expansion into the Potomac River, old and derelict vessels were used to fill in land and build out wharves so that sailing ships could take advantage of deeper waters out from the riverbanks. Three such ships were excavated during a project along Union Street, each with distinct construction from its days as a sailer and a unique purpose as a feature within the wharves. These three ships provide insight into both the construction of merchant vessels and the development of merchant spaces in 18th-century Virginia. This discussion will look at those construction features that defined the ships when they were afloat and how those features were strategically used and modified to help build a new waterfront landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2019   •
• Rebuilding The Alexandria Waterfront: Urban Landscape Development and Modifications

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 314