The Oyster Metropolis Of North Carolina: An Archaeological Investigation Of A Pamlico River Shipwreck

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The North Carolina oyster industry greatly expanded in the late 19th century after the introduction of advanced fishing techniques from oyster fishers from the Chesapeake Bay region. As the Chesapeake Bay oyster beds were depleting, oyster fishers flocked to North Carolina to find new fishing areas. Many new ship types and fishing tools were introduced to the North Carolina oyster fishers. The once small North Carolina oyster markets became much larger distribution centers. Recent investigations of a shipwreck located in the Pamlico River at Washington suggests an association with the North Carolina oyster industry. The shipwreck shares similar construction features to the oyster vessels used in the Chesapeake Bay region though the exact ship type has yet to be determined. This paper discusses the documentation of the site and the efforts to identify the possible vessel type.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology