Join the Massachusetts Archaeological Society – Northeast/Gene Winter Chapter for a lecture by Shannon Nelson-Maney, cultural resource technician for SWCA Environmental Consultants and co-PI for Rhode Island Marine Archaeology project leading their recent transport study in Newport Harbor. We hope to see you there!
The event is free and open to the public. For those who are unable to attend, the meeting will be streamed live via Zoom at https://andover.zoom.us/j/94947912838.
For more information or any questions please send an email to: [email protected]
Event details can be found on our event page here.
Understanding the Challenges of Underwater Site Identification
The waters of New England are littered with shipwrecks, ranging from pre-contact Mishoons to World War II German U-boats and small modern dinghies sunk in bad weather. Working with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, the majority of my diving projects have focused on 18th-century wooden vessels. Identifying these vessels can be challenging, even under the most ideal diving conditions. The decomposition of wooden vessels is accelerated by the presence of detritivores, and the local mechanical processes of archaeological site creation. This makes wooden ship remnants difficult to identify. In these cases, primary resource data, in conjunction with archaeological studies, can help identify shipwrecks. However, many wrecks still lie nameless beneath the silt.
Shannon Nelson-Maney has received her master’s degree in environmental Anthropology from San Diego State University. She published her master’s thesis on the ethics of coral reef restoration in Moorea, French Polynesia. Since graduating she has worked as the co-PI for Rhode Island Marine Archaeology project leading their recent transport study in Newport Harbor. She currently works for SWCA environmental consulting.
