Nautical Archeology Dives Deep into the Past

Nautical Archeology
Image: nauticalarch.org

Dr. R. Christopher Goodwin, who holds a PhD in archaeology, heads New Orleans-based R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. The award-winning firm provides cultural preservation and management services for corporate, energy sector, and United States Department of Defense clients. Dr. Goodwin and his company assist in maintaining compliance with all relevant federal, state, and local regulations on a variety of terrestrial and nautical infrastructure projects, while helping to preserve the nation’s material heritage.

Nautical archaeology is a comparatively new subfield, both of archaeology and in cultural resources management. It is such a recent development that only a few universities nationwide currently offer a nautical archaeology program.

The work of nautical archaeologists has produced a detailed record that helps document the development of shipbuilding, seafaring, and marine trade in many parts of the world. Examples of recent projects with both professional and popular interest include work on the Gresham Ship Project.

Researchers probed the wreck of a Tudor-era ship thought to have been associated with Elizabethan Royal Exchange founder Thomas Gresham, which sunk in the River Thames. The researchers were able to recover a number of artifacts documenting everyday life and trade during the period.

Other notable marine excavations have included several off the North Carolina coast. In 2010, one group of scientists hoped to uncover new underwater evidence related to the Lost Colony of Roanoke, while the Shipwrecks of the Graveyard of the Atlantic project worked to trace remains of World War II-era German ships sunk by American forces.