Site Formation Processes in the Mobile River: Analysis of Shipwreck Acoustic Imagery

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In 2018, SEARCH archaeologists conducted archaeological investigations including a remote-sensing survey in the Mobile River near Twelve Mile Island, Mobile, Alabama. The survey resulted in the identification of 12 previously unknown shipwrecks and the relocation of another three previously known submerged cultural resources. Between July 2018 and May 2022, SEARCH has collected updated acoustic imagery from six of these shipwrecks on up to five different occasions. Side-by-side comparison of collected imagery depicts substantial differences in both shipwreck characteristics and the adjacent environment that has occurred over a relatively short period of time. This paper will review the site formation processes affecting shipwrecks within the Mobile River, including environmental setting and conditions. A discussion on the analysis of recorded acoustic imagery of these shipwreck sites will also provide a means to better manage these resources in the future.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2023 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow