The American Revolution Underwater: Methodologies for Mapping Battlefields in Lake Champlain

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Arnold's Bay Project" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Champlain Valley, including the bottomlands of Lake Champlain, is home to several Revolutionary War battlefield sites. Methodologies used for mapping the underwater sites are specially tailored to their environments and utilize modern technologies. The Valcour Bay Research Project (1999-2005) mapped the American line of defense between Valcour Island and the New York shoreline using underwater metal detectors along 50-foot grids, and a later magnetometer survey covering all of Valcour Bay. This project also utilized avocational divers in the area, training them to use a systematic approach and promote a stewardship ethic. This summer our approach to mapping Arnold’s Bay was adapted from the Valcour Bay Research Project methodology and catered specially to metal detecting in shallow waters and transitional terrain. The dive team for the Arnold’s Bay Project once again included avocational divers in order to continue educating our diving community in Lake Champlain.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Arnold's Bay Project   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology