The Only Post in the U.S. Where a Deceased Soldier Cannot Have Decent Internment: Recent maritime archaeological discoveries in Dry Tortugas National Park

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

While mostly known for its use as a military prison during the American Civil War, the islands and waters surrounding Fort Jefferson within what is now Dry Tortugas National Park were utilized for a variety of purposes throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. As the population of Fort Jefferson swelled with military personnel, prisoners, enslaved persons, engineers, laborers, and occasionally their families, the stories of those living in the “City on the Sea” grew increasingly complex. Recent historical research and renewed archeological inquiry has resulted in several new discoveries that better represent the variety of archaeological resources both above and below the water within the park. One such discovery, including the remains of a quarantine hospital and graveyard on a submerged island within the park highlight not only the variety of resources preserved within the park but also the dynamic environment in which they are preserved.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow