Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology
NEWSLETTER
Volume 16, Number 1, June 1997
ISSN 0814-1479
Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (Inc)
Editors: Kieran Hosty & Lindsey Shaw
Australian National Maritime Museum
GPO Box 5131,
SYDNEY NSW 2001
PH: 02 9552 7777 FAX: 02 9552 2318
Registered by Australia Post, Publication No. WBH 1635
AIMA Executive Council for 1995 - 1996
President: Bill Jeffery
Sen Vice President: Jeremy Green
Vice President: Mark Staniforth
Vice President: Myra Stanbury
c/- State Heritage Branch,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE SA 5001
PH: 08 8204 9311 FAX: 08 8204 9250
Secretary: Terry Arnott
c/- State Heritage Branch,
Department of Environment and Natural Resources GPO Box 1047
ADELAIDE SA 5001
PH: 08 8204 9245 FAX: 08 8204 9250
Treasurer: Patrick Baker
c/- Western Australian Maritime Museum
Cliff Street
FREMANTLE WA 6160
PH: 08 9431 8443 FAX: 08 9430 5120
Honorary Auditor: Tom van Leeuwen
7 Delamere Avenue
SOUTH PERTH WA 6151
PH: 09 277 1611
From the Editors
Welcome to the first AIMA newsletter for 1997.
Contributors please note the deadline for contributions for the next issue of the Newsletter (16.2) is September 30, 1997.
Now that the ANMM is connected via the 'net' contributors can send their latest information, news items and juicy gossip to either Lindsey Shaw (lindsey@anmm.gov.au) or to Kieran Hosty (khosty@anmm.gov.au).
Australian National Maritime Museum
Julia Ann found on coral bed: An international team of maritime archaeologists led by USA Gallery Curator Paul Hundley has located and recorded the remains of a ship wrecked in French Polynesia on a run from Sydney to San Franscisco in 1855. Assisted by ANMM Conservator and diver Sue Bassett, the expedition recovered several items which will feature in a travelling exhibition bound for Sydney, Tahiti and the USA.
The discovery of the fragmented remains of the ship rounds out some intriguing detective work by Paul. Investigating migration and trade between San Francisco and Sydney during the Australian Gold Rush in the 1850s, Paul first read of the drama in a rare book titled Narrative of the Wreck of the barque Julia Ann in the South Pacific which the Museum acquired in 1994. This account was written by Captain B F Pond commander of the vessel, and published in New York in 1858.
Paul next identified an historical portrait due for auction in New York as that of Captain P M Coffin, First Officer on the ill fated voyage, and this was purchased for the ANMM Collection with USA Gallery funds. He then obtained a satellite photo of the Polynesian atoll and, using Pond's account, calculated the vessel's resting place.
From shipping records Paul established that the 350-ton vessel made several voyages to Sydney bringing diggers to the Australian gold fields along with cargoes of grain, flour and tools like picks, shovels and hoes. Julia Ann left Sydney on its last voyage in September 1855 with passengers - many of them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints or Mormons on their way home to Utah for the second coming of their late founder Joseph Smith - and a cargo of Newcastle coal. When the barque struck the reef on 3 October the ship broke in two, the stern section lifting onto the reef and the bow falling into deep water.
The ANMM team visited the site from 29 December, 1996 until 10 January 1997. The recovered artefacts include copper sheathing and fastenings, coal from the ship's cargo and ballast stone - material which enabled the identification of the site to be that of the Julia Ann. These artefacts will now be studied, conserved by the National Maritime Museum and subsequently returned to French Polynesia.
The archaeological team that surveyed the site included representatives from Newport Harbour Maritime Museum in California and Tahitian representatives of GRAN (Groupede Recherche en Archeologie Navale) an amateur association which assists the Museum of Tahiti in underwater investigation. The research was conducted under authorisation of the Department of Archaeology, Centre Polynesien des Sciences Humaines.
Objects, images and film footage from this project will be incorporated into a major exhibition next year in the National Maritime Museum on immigration and the shaping of Australia's identity. The material will then tour to Tahiti, California and Salt Lake City, Utah.
Paul Hundley
Curator of the USA Gallery
Pandora 1997, City of Townsville Expedition. From 20 January to 20 February 1997 Kieran Hosty was assisting the Queensland Museum on the Pandora 1997, City of Townsville Expedition.
The team this year consisted of Queensland Museum staff members, along with maritime archaeologists, marine biologists, a diving medical specialist, commercial divers and volunteers from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia.
The Pandora 97 expedition concentrated on the excavation, recording and retrieval of artefact material from the officers quarters on the lower deck and the Captain's storeroom in the hold.
Like the 1996 excavation, this years work produced some very interesting information.
One of the first areas to be excavated was the deck space thought to have been allocated as the cabin of the Pandora's Third Lieutenant. However the excavation revealed no sign of the cabin - the space instead appearing to be devoted to the storage of rope cable and/or matting and possibly a small water pump.
The second area to be excavated was the Captain's Storeroom in the lower hold forward of the ship's magazine. There was some conjecture that this storeroom would contain a large number of Polynesian artefacts - possibly the material confiscated form the mutineers of the Bounty captured in Tahiti.
Instead the area contained a surprising quantity of ceramic, porcelain and earthenware material including an almost complete dinner service, some very fine stemware glasses and a large number of glazed storage bottles or jars. All this material was stored in a series of internal partitions, shelves and drawers which backed on to the ceiling planking of the lower hull. This area also contained navigational instruments, lead pencils, lead shot, small coin, buttons, a watch back, two small seals possibly off signet rings and what looked like an artists or apothecaries pallet.
In board of these partitions there appeared to be a couple of wooden barrels.
In the Press: Kieran has been working with Macquarie Library Pty Ltd on the 3rd edition of the Macquarie Dictionary and the 2nd edition of the Macquarie Book of Events. The work entailed checking nautical reference citations in the dictionary and providing an updated listing on shipping and shipping disasters for the Book of Events.
Appointment: It's official. The position of Curator of Maritime Archaeology and Ship Technology at the Australian National Maritime was successfully filled by Kieran Hosty.
Kieran Hosty
Curator ANMM
New South Wales
Shipwreck heritage of the Richmond River, Jan 1997: Prepared for the Heritage Office by Mike Richards, has been completed. Copies of the report have been issued to a number of libraries, historical societies, local councils and tourist information centres in the vicinity of Richmond River as well as to the National Maritime Museum. The report follows Mike's earlier study - Shipwreck Heritage of the Clarence River and provides a valuable reference - particularly in encouraging the development of interpretive projects and in guiding the preparations of the EIS requirements for development projects. Copies are available from the Heritage Office upon request for $20.00 each.
Most Perfectly Safe by Allen Mawer, has recently been released. Allen's research was conceived following the Heritage Office's discovery of the convict ship Hive in 1994. It investigates the loss of the three convict ships in Australian waters - all wrecked in 1835. Allen is also the author of Fast Company: the lively times and untimely end of the clipper ship Walter Hood.
Who's a pretty boy then ?: A well known New South Wales maritime archaeologist has been written up in a widely circulated school student magazine called Discovery Teams. According to the magazine (which has three colour photographs of the said archaeologist) his hobbies include scuba diving and making ship models, his childhood dream was to 'explore the world' his favourite animal is 'shaggy cats' and his favourite food is 'chocolate...it's good to have after a dive'.
Although he has not yet been swamped by fan mail it has been rumoured that this archaeologist will be the April centrefold for Discovery Teams.
Jokes aside it's good to see archaeology getting positive press in such a popular magazine.
Contract Work: Viv Moran and Cos Coroneos have both recently completed work for the Heritage Office. Prior to moving up to Brisbane to undertake work for the Queensland Museum, Viv undertook two weeks work to check through the numerous Heritage Office wreck files to glean information for new fields added to the National Historic Shipwreck databases. There is still about three weeks work remaining on this activity but funds and desk space are, for the moment, both as exhausted as Viv.
Cos strove successfully with an equally demanding task of transferring the Maritime Photographic Register from an archaic Dbase database to a new photo management and labelling system - also before heading north to Queensland.
David Nutley and Tim Smith
Heritage Office
Level 21
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2001
Queensland
Queensland Museum
Conservation on the 1997 City of Townsville Pandora Expedition:
The Queensland Museum has recently returned from another successful expedition to the Pandora historic wrecksite. The museum recovered over 450 artefacts, many in excellent condition although all were very fragile after 206 years underwater.
Over the past couple of years the Museum has been gradually improving the equipment and methods used in the raising of fragile artefacts from the seabed at 35 metres to the deck of the workboat.
On the seabed, near the excavation area, are placed two large chicken crates (made by Nally). These are light weight but sturdy crates, fully enclosed with a small snap lock hatch on top. One crate is used to store plastic bags and plastic freezer containers. The small size of the hatch prevents (hopefully) the containers from escaping when the crate is opened. The artefacts are bagged on the seabed and placed in the freezer containers (Decor). These rigid sided containers are easier to handle underwater and provide greater support to the artefacts than the old ice-cream containers. However they still have the tendency to float if they are not weighted down with some sediment. The filled tubs are then placed in the second chicken crate which is raised to the surface.
This system works well for small and medium sized artefacts, the limiting factor being the size of the hatch in the chicken crate. My thanks go to Antonia Syme for suggesting the crates to me. Any other helpful suggestions will be welcomed.
Freya Bruce
Maritime Archaeology Section
Queensland Museum
South Australia
Zanoni Project: One of the main interests recently for the Maritime Heritage Section has been the Zanoni Historic Shipwreck. David Steinberg has been employed to implement a project to consider how we can better manage this site. He has looked at many issues and consulted many interest
groups in formulating, and implementing activities that are part of the management of this site.One of the outcomes for this project is to have a report compiled on how the site can be better managed, in addition to implementing appropriate activities where possible.
In this regard some fieldwork was carried out on the Zanoni from 1 - 12 April 1997. There were a number of aims, amongst which were; to obtain corrosion measurements of the cast and wrought iron structural components and machinery, as well as wood degradation analysis, under the direction of Dr Ian MacLeod (conservator - WA Museum); to develop a 3D model and plans for the wrecksite, carried out by John Riley (NSW), so better interpretive material could be made available to divers and the general community; to involve sport diving clubs in assisting in the work, particularly the
Zanoni Dive Club (based at Ardrossan) and the Underwater Explorers Club (based in Adelaide); and to liaise with the local school at Ardrossan.
Following the initial corrosion measurements, sacrificial anodes were
attached to a number of the iron structural remains and the anchor. Subsequent measurements indicated that the anodes started to work very quickly in reducing the rate of corrosion. The sacrificial anodes were
fabricated at Ardrossan utilising cast-alloy engine heads and securing them to the wreck through copper wire with G clamps. The success of the anodes was due to the persistence of David Steinberg, Bob Powell, Peter Kentish and Terry Drew.
Numerous sandbags were also deposited on site in preparation for future placement around the wrecksite, such as under the forward area to prevent the bow from collapsing.
An unsuccessful magnetometer survey was carried out to the north of the wreck, out from the stern, in an effort to locate the mizzen mast or other remains that have been the subject of a number of rumours over the years.
One of the other issues which didn't get to be implemented during the fieldwork, but we consider it to be important, is the question of whether the Zanoni can and/or should be given an aquatic reserve/ marine park
status. We think that this may assist in protecting and managing the site as one of the chief threats to the site is from fishers, and by giving it a status that they recognise as belonging to a site that is valuable and
fragile, it may assist us in protecting the shipwreck. We are hoping that the Zanoni will be part of a reef (natural and artificial) survey being carried out by the Adelaide University for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources later this year. The results of this survey will help determine whether the site should be declared an aquatic reserve/marine park.
Other shipwreck sites examined during the fieldwork were: the iron ship Songvaar (1884-1912), and the three-masted schooner-rigged iron screw steamer Investigator (1882-1918), both of which are located at Wardang
Island in Spencer Gulf. Also a large buoy and chain marking the position of a barge off Ardrossan recently disappeared and was replaced during the Zanoni fieldwork. The
barge was sunk one nautical mile south of the Zanoni in 1984 to act as an alternative place for fishing following the declaration of a Protected Zone around the Zanoni.
Sincere thanks are expressed to all personnel involved, and to their institutions for
enabling them to assist.
They included:
Dr Ian MacLeod, John Riley,
Ross Anderson (Heritage Victoria), Malcolm Venturoni (Maritime Archaeology Association of Victoria), Stirling Smith (maritime archaeology graduate presently working in Qld), Terry Drew (photographer - SA), Bob Ramsay (magnetometer consultant - SA), Nathan Richards (archaeology honours student - Flinders University), Peter Kentish (Lecturer in Metallurgy - University of South Australia), Lyndon Watson and other members of the Zanoni Dive Club, Brian Dorshorst and other members of the Underwater Explorers Club. We are also indebted once again to Kieran Hosty (ANMM) for the generous loan of the museum's video camera and magnetometer.
SOS, Secrets of the Sea: During April the educational resource kit was successfully trialed at the Ardrossan Area School by Rob Moorcombe (Education Officer - SA Maritime Museum) and David Steinberg (State Heritage Branch). The program was applied to classes of students ranging from Year 3 to Year 11. The kit will now undergo some minor modifications before its official launch in 1997.
Ship's Graveyard Branch staff have been assisting Mark Staniforth (Lecturer in Archaeology - Flinders University) with the students' fieldwork program involving the
investigation and recording of the hulks in the North Arm of the Port Adelaide River.
South Australian Shipwrecks Database
The shipwrecks database maintained by the Branch has been converted to
Oracle and the front end is presently being put onto Oracle forms. This also means a reasonable amount of upgrading of the database, which includes a relational database of artefacts. The upgrading will include more site data and more data on management issues, such as a statement of significance, as well as the facility to contain photographs.
The South Australian section of the Australian Shipwrecks Database is still
maintained separately on FMPro and it is now on the new format (with amendments from the May 1996 Workshop) although all the new fields are not up to date.
Cheers from
Bill Jeffery 08 2049311,
jefferb@dep.sa.gov.au
Terry Arnott 08 204 9245
arnottt@dep.sa.gov.au
AIMA Secretariat
Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology Inc
c/- State Heritage Branch, GPO Box 1047, ADELAIDE S.A. 5001 Telephone:
(08) 8204 9311 Facsimile: (08) 8204 9455
MINUTES OF AIMA MEETING
Teleconference 17 December 1996 at 11:00am (CST)
PRESENT:
SA: B. Jeffery, T. Arnott,
M. Staniforth
WA: P. Baker, M. Stanbury,
D. Garratt, B. Richards ANMM:
K. Hosty, P. Hundley (visitor)
VIC: M. Venturoni, P. Harvey,
R. Anderson
TAS: M. Nash
NSW: C. Coroneos
ACT: P. Snigg (DCA)
APOLOGIES:
NT: P. Clark
NSW: D. Nutley, T. Smith, J. Riley
SA: P. Bell
WA: J. Green
1.0 Adoption of Previous Minutes: Minutes of meeting held 15/10/1996 were adopted.
1.1 Matters Arising from Previous Minutes: Nil
2.0 REPORTS
2.1 President's Report - Bill Jeffery
DCA Grant: $9050.00 for publications and 1997 Conference
2.2 Treasurer's Report - Pat Baker
Balance of Current Account: $17766.00
2.3 Secretary's Report -
Terry Arnott: Nil
2.4 SPAC Report -
Peter Gesner: Nil
2.5 Diving Regulations -
Kieran Hosty: Nil
2.6 Centre of Excellence -
Bill Jeffery
Corporate Plan has now been developed into a Strategic Plan. Advertisement to be placed in national paper re applying for CofE grants. Plan and budget has been approved by Council. Final plan comment required by 31 January 1997.
2.7 Publications Editorial -
Jeremy Green
Bulletin Numbers 20.1 and 20.2 will be ready early in 1997, and will be followed by the two special publications on the shipwrecks of Investigator Strait and Backstairs Passage in South Australia by Cos Coroneos.
Pat advised that the complete collection of AIMA Bulletins is available at $350 plus postage.
2.8 Newsletter - Kieran Hosty
Newsletter Issue No. 15.3 is presently being printed and will be distributed as soon as possible.
2.9 Publications Review -
Bill Jeffery
After some discussion regarding the issue of AIMA reaching a much wider audience in an effort to advance its aims of educating the community on the need for protecting the maritime heritage, it was agreed in principle that AIMA produce a magazine in addition to its existing publications.
ACTION: Bill Jeffery &
Terry Arnott
2.10 National Shipwrecks Dbase - Jeremy Green: Nil
2.11 Training Programs -
Mark Staniforth
A copy of the draft contract with NAS has been distributed for approval. It was agreed that a cheque for the training package be posted asap to NAS.
2.12 Diver Education -
Nil
2.13 1997 AIMA Conference -
Pat Baker
ICMM proceedings will take place at Fremantle on 3-4 September, ICOMOS & AIMA lectures on 6-7 September, thematic lectures on 8-11 September, Delegates meeting and conference tours on 12 September.
3.0 GENERAL BUSINESS
3.1 National Shipwrecks Database: request for information from consultant - Bill Jeffery
WA, SA, NSW, Vic and Tas all agreed that a co-operatwas required by the States in relation to providing information from the database to other users. In the present case these five States agreed that the requested information be provided, and that it would be appropriate for a small fee to be charged if necessary for staff time expended; NT and Qld did not give approval. In future cases it was considered that a contractual agreement regarding use of the information may be required.
3.2 SHA Conference at Corpus Christi, Texas -
Mark Staniforth
Mark advised that he is attending the conference and offered to take AIMA publications and promote AIMA.
ACTION: Pat to send 5 AIMA publications to Mark.
NEXT MEETING:
Tuesday 11 March 1997
Meeting Closed: 12:00 noon (CST)
AIMA Correspondence List 1996 - 1997 (cont from 15.3)
057/96 Complimentary copy of 'East Coast Shipwrecks' from Heritage Victoria.
058/96 Letter to Dept of Foreign Affairs advising of AIMA's interest in AEII Submarine lost off Turkey in 1915.
059/96 Draft of AIMA brochure for comment from Jeremy.
060/96 Apology to Elaine Marland (NZ Historic Places Trust) re
overdue AIMA Bulletins.
061/96 MAAV Newsletter, No.167, July 1996.
062/96 Brian Morrison - membership application and subscription.
063/96 Payment from James Bennett P/L re HMS Sirius artefact catalogue.
064/96 Letter from Bill to Editor of S.A. Advertiser re Titanic.
065/96 Response from PADI Aust P/L to Bill re shipwreck info into entry level diver training.
066/96 MAAV Newsletter, No.168, August 1996.
067/96 MAAV Newsletter, No.169, September 1996.
068/96 Article from The West Australian 24/8/96 re HMAS Sydney.
069/96 Auditor's Report from Tom van Leeuwen and Pat Baker.
070/96 MAANZ per David Churchill re Auckland Islands research.
071/96 Response to Mark Spencer re AEII submarine (see 042/96).
072/96 Kieran Hosty re change of address for Coleman Doyle (JCU).
073/96 Jeremy Green re interim report on Aust Shipwreck Database.
074/96 Jeremy Green re searching Aust Shipwreck Database.
075/ Dean Cox re provision of shipwreck information to PADI members.
076/96 Notification to Judith McDonald re 1996 AIMA AGM.
077/96 1996 AIMA AGM notice in Australian newspaper.
078/ Acquittal Forms and Project Reports to DCA re 1995-96 Historic Shipwrecks Program.
079/96 Kieran Hosty re postage costs for AIMA newsletter.
080/96 Kieran Hosty re article in Aust Financial Review on Pilar project.
081/96 MAAV Newsletter, No.169, September 1996.
082/96 MAAV Newsletter, No.170, October 1996.
083/96 MAHRI Newsletter, Vol.9 No.1, Spring 1996.
084/96 Heritage Victoria requesting placement of advert in AIMA Newsletter re Directory of Heritage Consultants.
085/96 East Carolina University re 29th Annual Society for Historical Archaeology Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, Marriott Bayfront, Corpus Christi, 7-12 Jan 1997.
086/96 Garriock Duncan re submission of article for AIMA Bulletin on
maritime archaeology program at Engadine High School, NSW.
087/96 Australian Sea Heritage Magazine, No.47, Winter 1996, Sydney Maritime Museum, and request for articles.
088/96 Sydney Mariner Newsletter, No.19, July 1996, Sydney Maritime Museum.
089/96 Archaeological Institute of America re AIMA listing in 1997 Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin.
090/96 Hordern House publishers advertising release of 'An Account of the Discoveries made in the South Pacifick Ocean previous to 1764' by Alexander Dalrymple (1767).
091/96 Australian Sea Heritage Magazine, No.48, Spring 1996.
092/96 Sydney Mariner Newsletter, No.20, September 1996.
093/96 British Library re missing claim form for Bulletin Issues Vol.19 No.2 and Vol.20 No.1.
094/96 Model Waves newsletter, No.14, July 1996.
095/96 Berkeley Archaeology, Vol.3 No.2, Spring 1996, University of Berkeley.
096/96 Three archaeology publications from University Mikolaja Kopernika, Poland.
097/96 MAHS News, Vol.7 No.6, Nov- Dec 1995.
098/96 Heritage NSW newsletter, Vol.3 No.1, March 1996.
099/96 SIGNALS magazine, No.35, June-Aug 1996, ANMM.
100/96 Kristin Williams - membership application and subscription.
101/96 Northern Territory University re orders for 4 AIMA Special Publications.
102/96 Pandora's Post Box newsletter, No.2 Nov 1996, Queensland Museum.
103/96 Ian Oxley re NAS Training Package.
104/96 Edward Drew re ASDA scientific diving survey forms.
Terry Arnott
State Heritage Branch
Dept of Environment & Natural Resources
GPO Box 1047, Adelaide
South Australia 5001
email: arnottt@dep.sa.gov.au
Flinders University.
Maritime Archaeology (ARCH 3005): 21 students have enrolled in the third year archaeology topic Maritime Archaeology (ARCH 3005) this year. Later in the semester guest lectures by Bill Jeffery, Sarah Kenderdine, Keiran Hosty and Paul Hundley are scheduled. On the weekend of 22/23 March 1997 the students experienced the joys of stomping about in the swamp (otherwise known as the North Arm Ship's Graveyard project) where further site recording and photography was undertaken. Nathan Richards (honours student) is writing his thesis on the North Arm Ship's Graveyard.
Sydney Cove: Mark Staniforth visited Tasmania in December for the opening of the Sydney Cove exhibition at the Queen Victoria Museum. He returned in February for celebrations on Flinders Island and in Launceston to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the sinking of the Sydney Cove.
Field Methods: The 1997 Honours Field Methods students plus some volunteers are headed out to Port Lincoln to conduct fieldwork on three whaling station sites between 12 to 20 April. A team of about 20 conducted field survey and recorded work to establish the extent and nature of the archaeological remains at Sleaford Bay, Spaulding Cove and Point Collinson. Charles Parkinson (honours student) is writing his thesis on the whaling stations of Eyre Peninsula. This is also a part of the larger Archaeology of Whaling project in Southern Australia (AWSA) project which will be the subject of a seminar in Victoria in July - contact Mark for further details.
New courses: Flinders University has approved two new named degrees which will commence in 1997 - a Bachelor of Archaeology and a Bachelor of Cultural Tourism. Both are expected to have an initial intake of about 30 students. The Bachelor of Archaeology is designed to give students a substantial grounding in all aspects of archaeology as a preparation from a professional career in the area. In particular, the course in centred on the archaeology of Australia and how the study of archaeology inter-relates with Australian society past and present. It will also look at general and specific issues of cultural heritage management and the law. The degree is an initiative drawing upon the expertise of all South Australian Universities. There is a particular emphasis on practica aspects of archaeology.
The Bachelor of Archaeology degree requires three years full-time or four years for the Honours degree. Building on a common core, there are several specialist streams within the degree including Australian Aboriginal Archaeology, Historical Archaeology and maritime Archaeology.
For further information please contact, The Secretary, Archaeology, School of Cultural Science, Flinders University of South Australia, Ph (08) 201 2385
Mark Staniforth: has been appointed to a tenable lectureship in Archaeology at Flinders University commencing on 1 Jan 1997. He will be teaching in areas of maritime archaeology, historical archaeology and museum studies including contributing lectures in Introduction to Archaeology (ARCH 1001), Cultural Heritage and the Law (LEGL 2013) and Cultural Theory (CULT 7001) as well as running the topics Maritime Archaeology (ARCH 3005), The Museum (ARCH 2301) and Australian Archaeology B (ARCH 2002).
Mark Staniforth
Lecturer in Historical and Maritime Archaeology
School of Cultural Studies
Flinders University of SA
GPO Box 2100
Adelaide SA 5001
AUSTRALIA
phone + 61 8 8201 5195
fax + 61 8 8201 3845
Mark.Staniforth@flinders.edu.au
See Archaeology at Flinders on our website at http://cmetwww.cc.flinders.edu.au/Archaeology/Home_Page.html
Tasmania
Heritage Legislation: In March the State Government finally brought into force the Historic Cultural Heritage Act. While designed primarily to protect the built environment a section has been included to cover all shipwrecks located in State waters. There was previously no legislation to cover such sites, creating problems in protecting the recorded 150 wrecks occurring in State waters. Like the Commonwealth Act, a blanket declaration of all sites over 75 years old has been included in the State Act.
Sydney Cove Exhibition: A series of events to coincide with the exhibition of material from the Sydney Cove site at the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston, has been continuing. An official opening of the exhibition was held on 9 February 1997, on the 200th anniversary of the wreck. Publicity in the lead up to this included approximately 20 newspaper articles and numerous radio and television spots including the 7.30 Report (with the ubiquitous Mark Staniforth) and "Totally Wild" kids program. A Sydney Cove wine produced by one of the Northern Tasmanian vineyards was also launched and proved to be a pleasant improvement on the original samples. The Flinders Island community also held a series of events to commemorate the event including a visit to the site, dinner and dance, display of wreck material etc. A re-enactment trek up the Victorian, NSW coast is being undertaken by a number of scout groups that will be culminating in a ceremony on 17 May at the Rookwood Cemetery (Sydney) grave of Captain Hamilton of the Sydney Cove. The exhibition will be closing at the QVM in May and reopening, in conjunction with the Pandora, at the Australian National Maritime Museum on 27 June.
Sydney Cove Book: A publication of 130pp summarising the history and archaeology of the Sydney Cove wreck is now available. Contact Braxus Press at PO Box 618 St Ives NSW 2075 ph 02 9988 3404 or myself regarding copies.
Furneaux Shipwrecks: The publication Shipwrecks of the Furneaux Group is now available from the Parks and Wildlife Service. 150 pages A5 size $15 cost including p&p. This is the first in a series of publications that will cover shipwrecks around the Tasmanian coast. It is anticipated that publication on the King Island wrecks will follow.
Kent Group Survey: In late December field work was carried out at the Kent Group, Bass Strait, on a number of shipwreck sites including the largely intact 1877 wreck of the steamship Bulli. A report on the work is forthcoming.
Maritime Industries: The previous involvement of the Parks and Wildlife Service with sites relating to maritime industries will be continuing in 1997. A conservation plan for sealing sites at sub Antarctic Macquarie Island is being looked at with a visit to the island planned for later this year.
Mike Nash
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife
Victoria
Maritime Heritage Unit recently spent the last 2 weeks of February working in conjunction wiPolice Search & Rescue Team on the Ships' Graveyard off Port Phillip Heads. A diving fatality in one of the J-class submarines (the J-2) in 39 metres depth prompted the police to focus on the deeper sites that are popular recreational dive sites. Equipment that they were using included a PC/ Side Scan Sonar and video that were used to get images and footage for future interpretation of these sites and an upcoming publication. Peter Harvey was interviewed by ABC Radio broadcast nationally talking about wrecks in a special on Port Phillip Bay, while an ABC journalist interviewed a police diver underwater in their helmet and communications gear on the J-3 Submarine (this one in only 4 metres of water!) and adjacent S.F. Hersey wreck on Swan Island.
A Position Down: The Technical Officer position held by Mick Jackiw has been made redundant along with one other Research Officer position after a consultant's recommendation and review on Heritage Victoria operations. It will be sad to see Mick go after his time with the unit, having been with the unit since its inception. He is currently awaiting redeployment to another government department/ position, hopefully for something compatible with his interest and abilities with computers.
Beware Reef: The long weekend 7-10 March saw MHU staff and MAAV members go camping at Cape Conran near the mouth of the Snowy River to dive on Beware Reef, the site of three early steamship wrecks. Favourable weather saw us diving 2 out of 3 days, and everyone had a pretty darn good time!!
Ross Anderson
Maritime Archaeologist
Maritime Heritage Unit
Dept of Infrastructure
Maritime Archaeology Association of Victoria.
Seabird 1864-1867: On Sunday the 23 February, MAAV members Malcolm Venturoni, Russell Stewart, Greg Buttle and potential members Mick Nougher, Dave Randell and Julian Taggall conducted a dive on the remains of the Seabird. The aim of the dive was to familiarise themselves with the site, in order to conduct over the following months a complete survey of the vessel. The wreck lies in approximately 7 metres of water on the western bank of the West Channel not far from the West Channel Pile. The site can be dived for at least one hour either side of slack water, allowing us plenty of time to work on the site.The site appears to be slightly sanded over, although much wreckage was still visible. Frames protrude from the sand for most of the length of the vessel on the starboard side, along with inner and outer planking complete with copper sheathing. A number of iron water tanks and iron hatches are exposed midships. Part of the keelson is exposed near the iron tanks and appears again closer to the stern. Scours on the starboard side of the vessel have exposed large sections of ceiling planking. The MAAV managed to lay a temporary baseline on the site and surveyed the iron water tanks and hatch coamings.
The Seabird was built in 1864 in Bath, Maine, USA. It was a three masted, wooden barquentine of 355 tons gross (130ft x 28ft x 11ft). On June 19, 1867 with a cargo of coal the vessel ran aground near the West Channel Light. Despite the assistance of the steamers Black Eagle, Pharos and Resolute the vessel could not be refloated and became a total loss.
Graveyard Project: Peter Taylor reported on diving on the submarine the J2 (broken sub), in 30 metres of water, with 60+ visibility. The vessel is lying on its side and through the action of the waves has dug a channel into the sandstone.
Uralba: Malcolm Venturoni and Scott Allan conducted a dive on the site on the evening of the 18 February. The site sketch was completed during this dive and will now be drawn up. Malcolm reported that the site appears to have deteriorated in the last 12 months with much of the decking falling in.
Aurega and/or Campana: Lyall Mills reported a dive on this site. The stern and the bow are intact and stand up proud like the Courier and Coogee. The ribs are broken and flattened, with little structure appearing in the mid ships area.
Malcolm Venturoni as reported in Wreckings (August, 1996)
Western Australia
Western Australian Maritime Museum
Oman: Fieldwork this year (28 February - 29 March 1997) took the Western Australian Museum Team to Khawr Al Jaramah and Ra's Al Jinz, where diving was initiated last year, as well as to the Sur/Qualhai region and to the beautiful Musandam Peninsula on the Strait of Hormuz. The team enjoyed the support of the Royal Navy of Oman which provided a team of divers, compressors, recompression chamber, three Zodiacs, heavy vehicles, camping equipment, cooks, and for the Musandam sector, a Navy vessel (a landing craft/cargo vessel called an LCM) to use as a diving platform and base for the rubber boats.
Diving in and around the Khawi (inlet) Jaramah the team located mostly 19th century material but further north near the ruins of the medieval port of Qalhat they located a number of stone anchors, ringstones and a quern. These discoveries comprise the largest concentration of Arabo Indian stone anchors yet known in the western Indian Ocean, and near double the total number reported in the region so far.
Two stone anchors, under threat from an industrial coastal development were raised from a depth of 15 metres near the town of Ghalailah between Sur and Qalhat. Additionally, one ringstone and a quern were recovered in shallow water near Qalhat and are along with the stone anchors now in storage and conservation facilities at the main Omani naval base. The project now holds at the base a collection of four traditional boats, five stone anchors, two ringstones and the quern. Geological information from the stone objects indicates provenance such as Yemen, Baluchistan and India, possible the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia as well as local Omani sources. Of particular interest is a very large stone anchor estimated at nearly 1500 kgs recovered by BS-AC divers from the United Arab Emirates state of Sharjah and presented to the project. It is of diorite (Oman is reputed to be the source of diorite sued in some Assyran statues) and it displays numerous peculiar small notches and sockets in addition to the usual configuration of rectangular and round holes characteristics of Arabo Indian stone anchors. Research on the original configuration, use, handling, provenance, age and geographical range of all these stone anchors will continue.
In addition to the Royal Navy of Oman divers, this year the team comprised Tom Vosmer, Helen Kirkbride, Pat Baker, John Carpenter and Corioli Souter from WA, BS-AC divers from the Arabian Gulf region, plus several Earthwatch volunteers and staffers from the United States of America, England and Germany. We hope to resume fieldwork next year in March-April when the project plans a more comprehensive search and survey of the Qalhat area.
Tom Vosmer. WAMM
ICOMOS News:
The International Policy Initiatives Aimed at the Conservation of the Underwater Cultural Heritage: Underwater Cultural Heritage faces threats from many directions. For protective measures to be effective they must reflect the diversity of the threat, addressing the buyers and sellers in the antiquities market, the activities of archaeologists and recreational divers, and the growing numbers of others who use the seabed without having a strong awareness of cultural materials situated there. The past year has been quite productive in terms of international policy development aimed at the conservation of the underwater cultural heritage. The ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage has been centrally involved in these issues, generally acting in close cooperation with other heritage organisations. Highlights are as follows:
* The General Assembly of ICOMOS, meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria in October 1996, ratified The Icomos International Charter on the Protection and Management of the Underwater Cultural Heritage.
* The ICOMOS General Assembly also passed a resolution regarding the wreck of the Titanic.
* In May 1996 an Experts Group, assembled by UNESCO at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, discussed the proposal for a UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, put forward by the International Law Association and containing an appendix written by the ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural heritage. The Report of the Meeting was realised in November 1996
* The need for greater protection of the wreck of the Titanic was discussed at several venues by the International Congress of Maritime Museums.
1. The ICOMOS International Charter on the Protection and Management of the Underwater Cultural Heritage - This document is the result of several years of deliberation by the ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage. ICOMOS encourages its international expert committees to develop Charters, and this one aims to provide for the first time an internationally acceptable set of guidelines specifically for anyone dealing with the underwater cultural heritage.
2. The ICOMOS Titanic Resolution - The General Assembly of ICOMOS resolved in October 1996 (RES24) that it:
Condemns strongly the recent interference of the Titanic wrecksite, in which the cultural-historical value of the site is being exploited in a way that is incompatible with conservation standards and the ethics of marine archaeology; urges UNESCO to ask State Parties to respect the Titanic as a heritage site
Given the lack of legal protection of the Titanic site it is important to gain high level moral persuasion.
3. The UNESCO Experts Group Meeting and Report - The Cultural Heritage Committee of the International Law Association developed from 1990 - 1994 a draft Convention for the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage. The draft Convention included an appendix, drawn up by the ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage, defining appropriate behaviour on underwater cultural heritage sites. The draft Convention was presented to UNESCO, and UNESCO set about exploring whether they should use the draft as a model in drawing up a UNESCO Convention on the Underwater Cultural Heritage. UNESCO called together an Experts Group, drawn from heritage managers and legal experts from both UNESCO and non-UNESCO States, for a meeting in Paris. The meeting was organised in consultation with the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALAS) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). At this meeting the experts unanimously agreed that there is a need for a legally binding instrument for the protection of underwater cultural heritage and that UNESCO is the appropriate forum for its adoption. The UNESCO Secretariat was asked by the meeting to study ways of developing a new Convention, having regard to available models. the Report of the Meeting of Experts was made available in November 1996.
4. International Maritime Museums - Titanic Issues - In 1993 the International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) adopted a policy aimed at ensuring that maritime museums did not contribute to the destruction of underwater cultural heritage. Shortly after the policy was adopted one of the ICMM members, the British National Maritime Museum, developed a controversial relationship with a salvage company, RMS Titanic Inc, for the purpose of acquiring material for an exhibition. Amid criticism from the ICMM the National Maritime Museum announced two initiatives aimed at preserving the Titanic site.
The first of these was an exploration of the United Nations Law of the Sea Agreement (UNCLAS) as a vehicle for protection of the underwater cultural heritage. Two short conferences were held at Greenwich, the second in January 1996. The conclusion of these meetings was that UNCLOS was not a suitable vehicle. However the process of exploration raised awareness of other instruments that might be used for protection, including inter-governmental agreements such as the Estonia Agreement, signed on 23 February 1995 between Estonia, Finland and Sweden to protect the ferry Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea on 28 September 1994 with the loss of nearly 900 lives. US Government officials are exploring the applicability of this model to the Titanic wreck.
The second of the British National Maritime Museum initiatives was the modification of the Titanic Advisory Committee, initially developed by that Museum for the purpose of facilitating the salvage of the Titanic wreck. In 1996 the National Maritime Museum agreed to the co-chairing of the meeting by the Dr Kevin Fewster, Director of the ANMM and President of the International Congress of Maritime Museums. The ICMM representatives at that meeting sought a report to substantiate claims of the British National Maritime Museum that the work being done on Titanic met acceptable archaeological standards.
Graeme Henderson
President, ICOMOS International Committee on the Underwater Cultural Heritage,
Chairman, International Congress of Maritime Museums Archaeology Committee.
Diving News
Australian Scientific Divers Association Website 1997 The WWWeb site has been restructured for the new year.
REGISTRATION FORM - 1997 - now combines member data & 1996 diving survey SCIENTIFIC DIVING NEWS - now listed on international E-zine databases HISTORY & CHRONOLOGY - of regulation of Australian scientific diving
Privileged access is only available to registered members of the ASDA who must select their name from a list and then enter their personal registration number. This gives access to many other items on the site, including
REGULATORY DOCUMENTS - current and draft Standards Australia, WorkSafe
and overseas documents
CONTACTS LISTS - including many e-mail addresses.
REGISTRATION - 1997
Membership of the ASDA is still free, using previously accumulated funds and my personally donated facilities and time. However, new registrations will not be accepted without completion of the DIVING ACTIVITIES survey for the previous year, which is now included into the one new Web form. Current members need only complete a new EMPLOYER's VALIDATION if they have moved to a new organisation.
New members with e-mail addresses will be informed of their number directly, as soon as their data has been incorporated into the ASDA database.
1996 Membership numbers will remain valid for PRIVILEGED ACCESS to the Web site until June 30th this year, giving adequate time to renew registrations.
Response to the Web forms
The ASDA forms for 1996 Registration and the 1995 Scientific Diving Survey have now been on the Web for about 3 weeks. The problems a few people have experienced with getting their browsers to submit the forms electronically seem to have been very localised and at least some have come back electronically from most organisations who have tried.
We know from the preliminary Diving Officers survey earlier this year that there are in excess of 70 scientific diving organisations and 600 scientific divers out there connected to the Internet. Therefore, I expected anything up to 100 forms a day might come in at the peak response time, and my system could cope with that.
The peak clearly occurred within the first week, as I had anticipated, but it never exceeded half a dozen forms a day, and I have received a total of only 24 registrations and 12 sets of diving data. There have been no new forms for several days.
This means that only a handful of diving officers, let alone the divers they are responsible for, have bothered to respond.
As I have stressed before, accurate information on the number of scientific divers there are and how much diving they do is crucial to maintaining our negotiating position on scientific diving regulations in Australia.
It is not difficult to fill out those Web forms - probably quite interesting if you haven't come across them before - so let's get them rolling in again.
And remember, there is feed-back - a summary of the data on the Scientific Diving News section of the ASDA Web site.
The Scientific Diving News page has recently been noticed internationally and registered on at least two databases of electronic publications. So how about some more forms to improve the statistical significance of that data AND some articles from you to improve the content.
Dr Edward A Drew
Transfer interrupted!
ownsville, Q 4812, AustraliaTEL +61-077-724452
FAX +61-077-213538
EMAIL edrew@ultra.net.au WWWeb http://www.ozemail.com.au/~edrew
What is ADAS (From Professional Diver Journal Vol 2:2 p17) During the mid - 1980s Australia's offshore oil industry, centred on Bass Strait realised that a national system of certification for diver competency was required if Australia was to be spared a repeat of the diving accidents and fatalities that had plagued the North Sea during the 1970s. The U.K. Government's concern with Commercial Diving grew out of the high incidences of fatalities and injuries amongst divers, numbers which exceeded what had previously been regarded as acceptable levels. By the mid seventies, it had become apparent that the standards and regulations covering diver training and work practises was totally inadequate to the conditions and tasks which divers were called upon to perform.
Responding to this situation the U.K. Government, under the Occupational Health and Safety at Work Act, introduced universal legislation governing both Off-shore and On-shore diving activities aimed at ensuring that equipment, operational procedures, and personnel were adequate in all respects to meet the high risks involved in Diving Operations at Work.
Administered by U.K. Health and safety Executive (HSE), this model has become recognised internationally as being the 'World's Best Practise', and adopted by Australia - and many other countries - as providing the framework for an Australian National Standard, one which would allow other sectors of the diving industry in Australia to participate.
Re-written as an Australian Standard (the AS 2815 series), and incorporating into existing legislation (AS2299) covering Air Diving Operations, those Diver Training Standards form the basis of the competency based, Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme (ADAS). Modified by Standards Australia in 1992, to reflect changes in the U.K. HSE model, the AS2815 series is in four parts:-
AS2815.1 is the first level of accreditation as a commercial diver and covers commercial SCUBA diving to 30 metres. Limiting the diver to the use of small hand tools, or conducting inspections in no-decompression dives with direct access to the surface. it is ideally suited to marine archaeologists, research divers, inspection engineers, media and the like (Equivalent to the HSE Part IV).
AS2815.2 is directed to training commercial on-shore AIR divers to 30 metres and includes the use of surface supplied breathing apparatus, cutting and welding equipment, and pneumatic and hydraulic tools (Equivalent to HSE III)
AS2815.3 is the off-shore commercial AIR diver qualifications enabling the diver to work in the off-shore industry, to a maximum depth of 50 metres, using a full range of underwater tools and air breathing apparatus. It also includes the use of wet bells, surface decompression with oxygen, and hyperbaric chamber use. (Equivalent to HSE II)
AS2815.4 is for mixed gas saturation diving, enabling the diver to operate in depths in depths to the maximum limit of the equipment being used providing it is commensurate with safe diving practise. (Equivalent to the HSE Part I)
Restricted options are also offered in AS2815.1 and in AS2815.2, allowing others in the diving industry not wishing to be industrial divers, like, for examples, the scientific diving community, to gain a recognised certificate of competency. In each case the selection criteria for training is well defined and implies that the applicant has successfully completed a pre-requisite level of training.
From the papers, journals and newsletters
Diver finds $5bn sunken treasure (From The Australian March 12 1997): OSLO: A Norwegian divers has found the wreck of a Spanish galleon which sank off Ecuador in 1654 and its treasure estimated to be worth up to $US 4 billion the Norwegian Press reported yesterday. Mr Anton Smith received confirmation from international experts yesterday that the wreck located off Punta Carnero was indeed La Capitana Jesus Maria, which left El Callao, Peru, bound for Perico, Panama in 1654 but sank shortly after is sank.
we got the final proof ...that the valuables taken up from the Pacific are from the flagship of the Spanish fleet investor Mr Morten Christian Moe said yesterday.
Mr Smith began searching for the wreck three years ago, basing his work on old charts from 1654. After being given permission from the Ecuadorian government he proceeded to search the seafloor using side scan sonar.
Mr Moe and a group of Norwegian investors have formed a company, La Capitana Invest Inc to organise the necessary money to have the wreck raised and the treasure recovered. According to Norwegian financial daily Dagens Naeringsliv, 50% of the treasure will go the Ecuadorian State. Of the remainder, La Capitan Invest Inc was entitled to a finders fee of about 29% or $US570 million.
La Capitana Jesus Maria, Found off coast of Ecuador (Jose Velazquez, Associated Press, April 5, 1997): The race to find sunken treasure from a Spanish galleon that went down off the coast of Ecuador 343 years ago has paid off for its American discoveries. Nearly 4000 silver coins, along with pieces of pottery, two silver ingots and cannon balls, have been recovered from the La Capitana Jesus Maria de la Limpia Concepcion. Robert Logan, spokesman for the SubAmerica Discoveries Inc the company that discovered the wreck of the 17th century ship in November, said treasure's value was as yet unknown, but could reach $US400 million...The ship was carrying Peruvian treasure being shipped to Spain in 1654, it was found under just 35 feet of water off the Pacific port of Chanduay, 200 miles southeast of the capital of Quito.
Archaeologist John de Bry, who was contracted by the company to verify the authenticity of the find, said the coins were struck between 1648 and 1642 in the mint of Potosi, Boliva, which was at the time part of the vice royalty of Peru...Ecuadorean maritime historian Ronny Almeida, representative of a rival salvage company La Capitana Invest, called the SubAmerica's claim to the treasure a 'farce' La Capitana Invest, a Norwegian Consortium, had claimed last month to have found the ship first, but only with electronic equipment.
At the time, Norwegian news reports, estimated the tressure's value at between 3.7 and 7.5 billion dollars. SubAmerica has accused Almeida of inflating the estimated value to sell stock in his company. After a brief legal dispute over the claim, the Ecuadorean government backed SubAmerica, an archaeological and marine salvage consortium. The finders must evenly split the treasure with Ecuador's government. The Ecuadorean Navy has provided two gunships to guard the salvage work and the recovered treasure is being inventoried and stored by Ecuador's National Heritage Office.
News from the Internet
Legislation for Mozambique: From SUBARCH 8/04/97: Francisco Oliveira Ocidente - Centro de Estudos de Historia e Etnografia Maritimas reports that Mozambique intends to introduce legislation restricting salvage work on shipwrecks in Mozambique national waters.
The first Virtual World Tour of the Swedish East Indiaman Gvtheborg III. Jan - Erik Nilsson posted on Museum-L in late January 1997
During 1731 to 1813 the highly successful Swedish East India company was located in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. We enjoyed interesting cultural and trade relations with almost every other country in the world. During this period one extremely curious incident occurred, which must have been the laughter of the century. In 1745 the East Indiaman Gothenburg, on coming home after a more than two year long trip to China, went on a rock just outside the harbour, only 900 meter from land, and sank.
In 1984 the wreck site was rediscovered by the diver Mr. Anders Wdstfelt and some friends. During 1985-1992 he organised one of the largest maritime archaeological investigations ever undertaken in Sweden. Not much was left, but the site was carefully charted. Measures of the remnants of the ship was taken by Joakim Severinsson.
In 1993 it was decided that we should try to rebuild the ship, and redo the last trip to China and back - and try to reach land, this time. The project is now well under way. (Please visit us at http://www.gotheborg3.se).
We have built a shipyard, laid the keel and erected the first few pairs of ribs. The ship will be well over 40 meters long, have a sails area of 1160 square meter. The cost is estimated to c/a 100 million Swedish crowns (15 million USD).
The project is sponsored by about 250 local companies and thousands of private benefactors.(See: http://www.gotheborg3.se/spons.htm) Most of the work is done on a voluntary basis.
During the Gothenburg Boat Show at Svenska Mdssan, Gvteborg, the project will be presented to the public for the third consecutive year. This year our theme will be THE SAILING ROUTE. With the help of several sponsors we will invite our visitors to make a virtual world tour on twelve PC:s connected to Internet.
The East Indiaman Gothenburg exhibition at the Scandinavian Boat Show will start Friday, the 31st of January and continue to the 9th of February 1997. As soon as possibly we will "broadcast" from our exhibition hall with a webcamera - nights, days, during the building etc. as long as we have a connection. After that, the camera will be moved to the shipyard.
For this exhibition, and for a permanent exhibition at our shipyard "Terra Nova", we would like to establish Internet links to interesting sites all over the world. Subjects of interest is TRADE, TOURISM, EDUCATION and HISTORY.
North Carolina wreck likely Blackbeard's flagship RALEIGH, N.C. (Reuter) - Researchers believe they have found the remnants of Blackbeard's flagship Queen Anne's Revenge, used by the infamous English pirate during his reign of terror along the U.S. southeast coast in the early 18th century, state officials said Monday. The wreck was found last fall on the ocean floor within ``a
couple of miles'' of the beach -- 279 years after it foundered on a sandbar off Beaufort Inlet. Divers recovered artefacts including a brass bell inscribed with the year 1709, a cannon ball and a blunderbuss, a short rifle with a broad muzzle. Officials said they were 80 percent certain the wreck was that of Blackbeard's flagship.
We're calling it the most important underwater archaeological discovery since the USS Monitor was found off Cape Hatteras in 1973,
Dr. Jeffrey Crow, director of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History, said. We haven't absolutely identified it. But all indications are that this is the Queen Anne's Revenge, he said.
Researchers based their belief on the location of the wreck and where Blackbeard's ship was known to have run aground, and the artefacts, which dated the wreck to the period when he roamed the North Carolina coast.
The Queen Anne's Revenge, a French ship captured and rearmed by Blackbeard in 1717, and a smaller accompanying ship, The Adventure, were know to have run aground in June 1718, Crow said.
The divers who have seen the site report a large number of cannon and anchors at the site. The size of the anchors would indicate a larger ship, he said.
The wreck, discovered by Intersal, Inc., a private research firm based in Boca Raton, Florida, had not been mapped or surveyed and
its exact location was being kept secret for
security reasons. The State will eventually salvage the site and put recovered artefacts on display in a museum.
Researchers were uncertain how much of the ship might be intact under the ocean floor. A small portion of wood was sticking above the sand.
Crow said if the wood had been exposed for nearly three centuries, it would long ago have disintegrated. With two hurricanes that swept through recently, it's quite possible that they exposed part of the ship, Crow said. ``A good bit of it is probably still under the sand.''
Crow said it was unlikely any treasure would be found on the wreck because Blackbeard had time to remove it before the ship was swallowed by the sea. But it could contain artefacts that will give researchers new insight into the pirate and 18th-century maritime life.
For example, we know that he had blockaded Charleston and confiscated a large amount of medicine because his crew was ill, Crow said. Maybe we'll find some jars of medicine that will tell us about the diseases.
Blackbeard, whose real name was Edward Teach, was headed north after his week-long blockade of Charleston harbour when Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground on a sandbar. The Adventure came to his aid but both ships sank. Blackbeard was beheaded by Royal Navy Lt. Robert Maynard
during hand-to-hand combat at Okracoke in the North Carolina barrier islands in November 1718.
Cape Verde Islands:
(From Filipe & Siaska Castro np17la@mail.telepac.pt off Sub-arch 17/10/96) The company ARQUEONAUTAS SA. started excavations in Cape Verdian Islands last July. According to the available information recovery operations on the wrecks of the Leijmuiden and the Hartwell started on the 20th July. ARQUEONAUTAS SA. is working closely with MARE, of the Oxford University. They state that archaeological expertise is of great relevance to salvage operations in order to assure cost efficient recovery. They also say that proper recording procedures of artefacts and first aid conservation are extremely relevant to assure the highest possible value for the objects recovered at auction. As an adviser to this complex field of expertise Dr. Margaret Rule, the Director of the Scientific Board of the Portuguese Holding Company, is working as adviser on the Cape Verde Project Company in close cooperation with MARE.
International and Miscellaneous News
Historical Archaeology (ASHA). ASHA founded in 1970 encourages archaeological research on historical sites, buildings, artefacts and relics by historical research, survey, recording, excavation and analysis and the publication of results of such research. The wide range of historical archaeology in Australia is reflected in ASHA's publications Studies in Historical Archaeology, Australasian Historical Archaeology and the quarterly Newsletter. Membership is open to both amateur and professional levels of archaeology. Subscriptions are as follows: Individual membership (per annum) $25.00. Corporate membership (per annum) $30.00.
For further information please contact
The Secretary
Australasian Society of Historical Archaeology, Box 220
Holme Building
University of Sydney, NSW 2006.
Australia Council Grants. The Council provides grant money for many cultural activities. For comprehensive details of the Australia Council's grants and application procedures please see the Australian Council for the Arts Grants Handbook 1997. Available from the Australia Council on (02) 9950 9000
The Australian Foundation for Culture and the Humanities. Support organisations and individuals in activities in the area of culture and the humanities. This year the foundation is targeting Publishing ($10,000), Oral History and Folklore ($5000 - $20,000), Celebrations and Commemorations Programs ($20,000 - $50,000) and Travel Fellowships ($3000 - $5000). Guidelines available 22 July 1996, closes 27 September 1996. Contact. The Australian Foundation for Culture and the Humanities Ltd, 33 - 39 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. Ph (03) 9207 7020.
The Getty Grant Program of Santa Monica, California. has awarded a grant to the University of Canberra to establish a post graduate internship program. It funds graduates from the Conservation of Cultural Materials program to complete a one- year internship at a recognised conservation laboratory in Australia or overseas. Persons eligible are graduates who completed their studies in 1994 - 95. Approximately AUD $20,000 for one year. Contact Professor Colin Pearson, Director, NCCHSS, University of Canberra, PO Box 1, Belconnen, ACT, 2616. Ph (06) 201 2368.
George Alexander Foundation & Ian Potter Foundation - Value up to $100,000. Awarded to Australian organisations for projects in areas including arts, fellowships, travel, grants and research. Closing dates mid April; mid July. Contact Executive Secretary, George Alexander Foundation and Ian Potter Foundation, Level 5, 1 Collins St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Ph (03) 9650 3188.
Fellowships: From National Maritime Museum, Head of Research, Greenwich, SE10 9NF, England the following information on Fellowships:
Sackler Research Fellowship in the History of Astronomy and Navigational Sciences, 12,500 pounds p.a., tenable two years.
Caird Senior Fellowship - 17th century Dutch maritime paintings - medals - 18th century prints, 12,500 pounds p.a, tenable one year.
Caird Junior Research Fellowship in (British) Naval and Maritime History and Associated Studies, 8,500 p.a, tenable one year.
Touring Exhibits?: Erica Sanders, the National Touring Resource Officer at Museums Australia, is developing a database of Museums and display venues throughout Australia for use by Museums with touring exhibitions. A Touring Exhibition Trade Directory is also in the pipeline and will include information on packing, transport arrangements and insurance. Listings are free. Further information from Erica on (03) 9486 3399.
British Council: Travel Grant Scheme; Academic Link and Interchange Scheme (ALIS); Visitors Scheme; Post Graduate Bursaries; and for a listing of their international courses and seminars contact PO Box 88, Edgecliff NSW 2027. Ph (02) 326 2022, Fax: (02) 327 4868
United States Cultural and Academic Specialist Grants: Awarded to American specialists to spend two to six weeks at an Australian museum or gallery to work on specific projects or work as consultants. Available on a shared cost basis with USIS (United States Information Service) Contact: Noeline R. Milson, USIS, Ph (06) 270 5966, Fax: (06) 273 3051.
New Books and Publication
INA NEWSLETTER: All INA Newsletters are available from INA, P.O. Drawer HG, College Station, TX 77841. You can also order them by accessing the Web page at
http://nautarch.tamu.edu
Cheryl Haldane
Institute of Nautical Archaeology - Egypt P.O. Box 432
El Ibrahimiyya, Alexandria
Egypt
Tel./FAX: 203-546-6872
e-mail: INA_MISR@auc-acs.eun.eg
Cheryl Haldane haldane@BILKENT.EDU.TR
NAS: Nautical Archaeology Society and International Journal of Nautical Archaeology offer a special joint membership/subscription rate to professional and avocational maritime researchers. Join NAS and receive both NAS Newsletter and IJNA for $US60. Contact Membership Secretary, 206 Moorview Way, Skipton, N Yorks, BD23 2TN, England
Museums Australia Bookshop: For people who don't have access to a specialist bookshop and are keen to keep up with current musicological practise, Museums Australia produces a catalogue, Publications for Sale, which lists relevant Australian and overseas publications. Some recent publications listed are: Travelling Exhibitions by Sara Kelly; Historical Outreach: Programs for Museums, Historical Organisations and Academic History Departments, by J.D. & Diane F. Britton (Eds); Archaeological Curatorship by Susan Pearce and; The Marketing Mix: Promoting Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions by Dr Sharron Dickman. For further information please contact Museums Australia Victorian Office, Tel: (03) 9416 1945
Scientific Diving : A General Code of Practise: Diving Books, the Worlds Largest Publisher of Diving Books has announced the release of the second edition of this popular text.
The Code of Practise for Scientific Diving was first published in 1988 as Vol 53 of the series UNESCO Technical Papers in Marine Science. The first edition attracted input from 100 scientific divers in more than 30 countries. The Second Edition has been prepared and edited by the Scientific Committee of the World Underwater Federation (CMAS) for UNESCO. Edited by N.C. Flemming and M.D. Max.
Priced at US39.95 the publication is available from Best Publishing Co, P.O. Box 30100, Flagstaff, AZ, USA 86003 - 0100.
Ph: (520) 527-1055
Fax: (520) 526-0370
Credit card orders accepted.
Forthcoming Conferences
Conference announcement and Call for Papers Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology Inc.
NB: Please note change of dates for:
17th International AIMA Conference: "The Maritime Archaeology of Long Distance Voyaging", 6-12 September 1997, Fremantle, Western Australia
The theme of the Conference is "The Maritime Archaeology of Long Distance Voyaging" this is not specific to a particular era, but can encompass voyages from the earliest times through to the modern era and is not specific to any geographical region). The Conference organisers would like expressions of interest from individuals who wish to present papers or attend the conference.
Programme (tentative at present):
6 Sept Saturday Arrival, registration and Public lectures
7 Sept Sunday Public lectures
8 Sept Monday Workshop: The Indian Ocean, Boat Ethnography and Maritime Archaeology
9 Sept Tuesday Workshop: Shipwrecks and Survivors' Camps
10 Sept Wednesday Workshop: Iron and Steam Shipwrecks
11 Sept Thursday Workshop: Managing Shipwreck Sites: Similarities and Differences
12 Sept Friday Delegates Meeting
The AIMA conference will be organising a number of post-conference excursions and technical workshops. Papers are generally published in the AIMA Bulletin. In addition the AIMA Conference will coincide with the first Indian Ocean Week in Fremantle.
INDIAN OCEAN WEEK-FREMANTLE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
To maximise the advantages of your visit we have scheduled the AIMA Conference during Indian Ocean Week, immediately following three other Conference events which are of overlapping interest to you all. The week will start with a two-day Indian Ocean Travel Organisation (IOTO) Conference, continue with a three-day International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) Conference, then the ICOMOS Conference and finish with the AIMA Conference.
This combination will heighten awareness among the Maritime Museum and travel industry community of the benefits of underwater cultural heritage management. The Indian Ocean Week organisation committee includes representatives of the Fremantle Council, the Fremantle Tourism Association, and the Multicultural Arts Centre of Western Australia, so it is planned that a number of supporting events will tempt you to come here for the whole week.
The Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material (AICCM) will also be holding a National Heritage Conservation Conference during the week 1-5 September in the unique environment of Rottnest Island, off Fremantle.
For further information on the AIMA Conference, Indian Ocean Week
Indian Ocean Week Co-ordinator
c/- Western Australian maritime Museum Cliff Street
Fremantle WA 6160
Phone (61-9) 431 8456
Fax (61-9) 336 6332
Email GraemeH@mm.wa.gov.au
For further information on the AIMA Conference: Associate Professor Jeremy Green
Phone: (61-9) 431 8440 (W), 335 8071 (H) or (JeremyG@mm.wa.gov.au)
Myra Stanbury
Department of Maritime Archaeology
Western Australian Maritime Museum Cliff Street FREMANTLE WA 6160 Western Australia
(MyraS@mm.wa.gov.au)
PH: (61-9) 431 8437 Fax: (61-9) 335 7224
CALL FOR PAPERS 16th Gulf Coast History and Humanities Conference HISTORY AND HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE GULF COAST
October 9 - 11, 1997, Pensacola Beach, FL
Encouraged topics include:
investigations of archaeological sites, terrestrial and underwater historical examination of social, economic, and political issues archival studies
curation and exhibition of artifacts
For further information please contact Judy Bense, Archaeology Institute, UWF, Pensacola, FL 32514. Voice: 904-474-3015; FAX 904-474-276
Eighth International Symposium on Boat and Ship Archaeology: Gdansk, Poland, September 24 - 27 1997. Theme: Down to the river and into the sea: For further information please contact: Dr Litwin, Secretariet ISBSA 8, Centralne Muzeum Morskie, ul. Szeroka 67/68, 80-835, Gdansk, Poland.
International Council of Museums. In partnership with ICOM, Museums Australia is to host the next International Council of Museums Conference in Melbourne, Victoria in 1998. So far the Commonwealth Government has promised $100,000 to the event and the Victorian State Government a further $250,000. For further information please contact Anthea Hancock at the Museum of Victoria (03) 9651 6783
Further Studies ???
Graduate Maritime Archaeology and History Certificate Program: The field of maritime archaeology and history is relatively
undeveloped in the Pacific, yet a great potential exists to explore, document, preserve and interpret the rich heritage of ocean-related culture, history, anthropology, science and technology. The University of Hawaii is exceptionally well-located, staffed and equipped to conduct education, research, and service for Pacific Ocean maritime archaeology and history of Polynesians and other Pacific Islanders as well as the maritime peoples of Asia--with expertise spanning from coastal wetlands to the technologies required for deep water exploration. This Graduate Certificate is offered as a complement to classified graduate students pursuing advanced degrees or as a stand-alone credential for non-degree students who have completed their baccalaureate degrees. This will be the first program in the field which is based at an academic institution in the Pacific. It has evolved over the past nine years from symposia, workshops, field schools and courses developed by the University of Hawaii Marine Option Program.
Cooperating faculty from throughout the UH system are supplemented
by faculty and professionals from agencies and institutions throughout the Pacific and U.S. mainland. The program will be guided by a steering committee, chaired by Dr. William N. Still, Jr., formerly of East Carolina University, now with the University of Hawaii School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) Some of the topics of particular interest related to Hawaii and
the Pacific will include traditional fishponds, Polynesian voyaging, the Spanish galleon trade, explorers (Pacific, Asian and European), whaling, maritime commerce, naval history, lighthouses, fisheries and seafood processing facilities, waterfront preservation, cultural resources management, museums and public education programs.
The curriculum consists of three components: traditional coursework, practical experience with field and/or laboratory methods, and an integrating seminar requiring a major paper. Completion of the certificate requires a minimum of 20 credits, including OEST/ANTH 489 (3 credits, World Maritime History) and OEST/ANTH 668 (6 credits, Maritime Archaeology Techniques) plus the seminar and electives from courses in the following four areas: History and Social Science, Archaeology, Techniques, and Natural Sciences and Engineering.
Applications for admission for Fall Semester 1997 are due by 15
April 1997; for Spring 1998 admission, applications are due 1 September 1997.
This year's Maritime Archaeology Techniques course will run from
June 16 through July 18. Field work will be based on the Big Island of Hawaii and will involve Mahukona Harbor, Kaloko shoreline, and Kealakekua Bay, the site of Capt. James Cook's death. Applications are due 1 April.
Information and applications are available from the Marine Option
Program (contact information follows).
Sherwood Maynard, Director
Marine Option Program School of Ocean and Earth Science & Technology. University of Hawaii at Manoa. 1000 Pope Road, MSB 229. Honolulu, HI 96822 U.S.A. TEL: (808) 956-8433 FAX: (808) 956-2417
E-MAIL: mop@hawaii.edu
Graduate Diploma of Museum Studies, Masters of Letters (Museum Studies), Museum Studies Unit, University of Sydney, includes Foundation Studies (The Museum, Context, Research, and Information Management, Communications and Public Programs); Management Studies (Principles of Management, management Practise, marketing and Fundraising); Collection Studies (Collection management, material Culture Study 1 and 2); Access Studies (Visitor Studies, Evaluation and Criticism, museum Education, Exhibition Project Management)
For further information contact Ms Shar Jones, Museum Studies Unit, Sydney University. Ph (02) 351 3800
BA and BA Hons in Cultural Heritage Studies, Graduate Diploma in Applied Heritage Studies (also Maritime Archaeology), MA in Cultural Heritage Studies (by project); Contact The Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Curtin University, GPO Box U 1987, Perth WA, 6001, Ph (09) 351 3831
Certificate in Cultural Preservation. Six hours per week for 36 weeks. To equip students with skills to provide technical assistance in the cultural preservation industry. Contact Geoff Bell, Course Coordinator (06) 207 3469 of the School of Applied Science (06) 207 4300.
Graduate Diploma (Cultural Heritage Studies) & Bachelor of Arts (Cultural Heritage Studies): Charles Sturt University is offering by distance or on-campus study further education in Cultural Heritage Studies.
The Graduate Diploma is for those who have completed a tertiary degree and wish to gain more specific heritage skills. It is offered by distance over two years. Students successfully completing the course may choose to upgrade to an MA. Subjects offered: Cultural Theory, Visions of the Past, Heritage Practise, Museum Technology, Preserving the Public Record, Politics of the Past and Research Methods.
The BA is a three year degree preparing students for careers in ,museum. heritage and consultancy work. Students major in heritage studies and anthropology and select additional subjects from photography, park management, Japanese, conservation, curatorship or art history.
Further information from: The Secretary. School of Cultural Heritage, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 780, Albury, NSW 2640.
Fieldschools and Internships
The Archaeological Diving Unit would like to offer suitable students the opportunity of work experience for one, two or three week sessions between April 12th and September 30th 1997.
The purpose of this exercise is to allow students who are interested in submerged cultural resource management and archaeology underwater to gain first hand experience of the practicalities of work in the field.
The basic qualifications we are looking for are: Enthusiasm; The ability to work irregular hours Fit enough to be able to work on a small boat in choppy seas; Currently studying maritime archaeology or a related topic, or have recently completed such a course
The ADU has a non discrimination policy and people of any age, sex or ethnic origin are welcome to apply.
Successful applicants will be expected to play an active part in the diving team, but as a member of the surface crew and not as a diver. They will also have the opportunity to be involved in other aspects of the ADU
work at sea and ashore.
Participants will be in the position of unpaid volunteers but food and basic accommodation will be provided. They will also be expected to make their own way to and from that part of the UK where the ADU happens to be working.
Those interested should apply in writing giving availability and preferred start date(s). Please also send a brief description of your archaeological education and experience; relevant organisations to which you belong; and with the name of a responsible person we can contact to ask about your suitability. If you want to earn real brownie points, try sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Martin Dean
Director
Archaeological Diving Unit
University of St Andrews
Fife KY16 9AJ Scotland
Telephone: 44 (0)1334 462919
Fax 44 (0)1334 462921
WWW http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~www_shir/adu.html
The Combined Caesarea Expeditions (CCE) underwater excavations are recruiting volunteers for the 1997 summer season (!student scholarships available!). Details on the volunteer program and the research being conducted on the ancient harbour can be found at the CCE Underwater Excavations webpage. The web page has recently been updated with many new additions and has moved to :
http://meguma.earthsciences.dal.ca/~reinhard/CaesareaHome.html. The webpage contains all the necessary information for application to the program. Anyone without web access can email me directly for information.
Dr. Eduard G. Reinhardt
Killam/NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow
Dept. of Earth Sciences (902)494-2358 Dept office Life Sciences Bldg. 494-6889 Fax Dalhousie University 425-4367 Hm Halifax, Nova Scotia email: ereinhar@IS.Dal.CA B3H 3J5 CANADA
www:http://meguma.
earthsciences.dal.ca/
~reinhard/Ed2.html
UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER INTERNSHIPS FOR 1997 DARLING MARINE CENTER
WALPOLE, MAINE
Each summer, the University of Maine's marine laboratory, the Darling Marine Center, offers internships for highly motivated undergraduates. In 1996, 34 undergraduates received internships, including six who were funded through the SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) program sponsored by the Gulf of Maine Foundation. All internships outside of SURE were funded by research grants to University faculty in residence at the Darling Center or by visiting investigators from other institutions. A similar number of internships are expected to be available again in 1997.
Interns will live at the Darling Center and will work alongside faculty conducting research in a variety of marine fields. Project topics include estuarine and microbial biogeochemistry, historical studies of Maine shipwrecks, invertebrate biology, and lobster and sea urchin ecology. Research will involve both laboratory and field work, some of it involving the use of small research vessels and SCUBA.
Preference will be given to candidates who are juniors and seniors currently enrolled in a marine science-related program. Minorities and women are especially encouraged to apply. Darling Center internships are advertised nationally and typically draw students from institutions both in the U.S. and overseas.
TO APPLY: Send curriculum vitae, a letter of interest, and a letter of reference to:
Caroline Chisholm, Internship Coordinator
Darling Marine Center
25 Clark's Cove Rd. Walpole, ME 04573
207-581-3321 (from Orono) or
207-563-3146, ext. 200
e-mail: chisholm@maine.maine.edu
A summer internship for an undergraduate student will be available at the University of Maine. The intern mostly will help with the conservation and recording of artifacts from a 1710 wreck site. Some coastal field work also will be part of the internship. Candidates should have some basic knowledge of chemistry along with a history or archaeology background.
No diving is required. However, if you just HAVE TO dive, try applying for one of the marine biology positions. They go underwater almost every day.
The following information on the internships is found at: http://server.dmc.maine.edu/
GRADUATE STUDENT INTERNSHIPS Nautical Archaeology Pensacola, Florida
Spring 1997, Summer 1997, Fall 1997
The University of West Florida, in conjunction with the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Archaeological Research, is conducting investigations of the Emanuel Point Ship, an early Spanish shipwreck recently discovered in the shallow waters of Pensacola Bay, Florida.
Six graduate student internships are being offered for the 1997 field season.
Successful applicants will have the opportunity to work with faculty of the
University of West Florida in the following areas:
marine archaeological survey
underwater survey
artifact conservation
historical research
Requirements: Applicants must be enrolled in a graduate university or college program in Anthropology or Historical Archaeology, with a thesis track that is relevant to the above.
Internships will run from February 1 through May 1, 1997, and from May 15 through August 15; each intern will receive a stipend of $US 2,500. No room and board is provided.
Graduate academic credit can be arranged
through UWF.
How to Apply: Send an introductory letter, a resume or vita, and a letter of recommendation to:
John Bratten
Archaeology Institute
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, Florida 32514-5751
(904) 474-3015
AIMA Publications
Back issues of the Bulletin, Newletters and Special Publication are available for sale. Publication price lists and order forms may be obtained by contacting The Treasurer. Discount prices may apply for multiple orders.
What is AIMA
The Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) is an organisation formed to promote the advancement of maritime archaeology in Australia and to assist in the co-ordination of national and international programs. Join AIMA and find out more about what is happening in the world of maritime archaeology.
Ordinary Member: A$35.00
Student Member A$25.00
Institutional Member A$75.00
Associate Member A17.50
For further information on membership please contact,
The Treasurer
Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology
C/- Western Australian Maritime museum
Cliff Street, Fremantle
Western Australia, 6160