Mose In the Middle: Terrestrial and Maritime Methods Meet In St. Augustine

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Fort Mose Above and Below: Terrestrial and Underwater Excavations at the Earliest Free Afro-Diasporic Settlement in the United States" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The site of Fort Mose in St. Augustine, Florida, faces considerable environmental threat. Remains of the fort are located on a small hammock north of the colonial city. Once connected to the mainland by agricultural fields, the fort was isolated by dredging in the early 20th century, and now storm action and a small creek gradually erode the island.  As a result of these cultural and natural forces, the site is located partially on land and partially underwater, with its western edge gradually transforming into a mud flat. A combination of terrestrial and underwater methods are needed to address cultural resources at the site. However, most archaeologists are familiar with either underwater or terrestrial excavation, and only a handful have experience with wet site methodologies. This paper will address the meeting of these approaches at Fort Mose in the 2021 field season; including challenges encountered, solutions developed, and obstacles remaining.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Fort Mose Above and Below: Terrestrial and Underwater Excavations at the Earliest Free Afro-Diasporic Settlement in the United States   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology