The Yorktown Project by John Broadwater, Director
In these pages we have looked theoretically at what should be done with archaeological sites and artifacts. H ere, in a report from project director John Broadwater, we see a properly set up marine archaeology project-in action. A unique look at 18th century merchant vessels has been provided by Bri tish shipwrecks at Yorktown, Virginia. Those vessels, sunk during the Battle of Yorktown , 1781 , were for ten years the objects of intensive research by the Departmant of Conservati on and Hi storic Resources. The Yorktown Shipwreck Archaeological Project located a total of nine shipwrecks, one of which, known only by its archaeological site designation, 44Y088, has been completely excavated. Because of the ex tremely poor visibilty, strong currents and stinging jellyfi sh in the York Ri ver, the project utilized a unique steel enclosure, or cofferdam, which surrounds the site, permitting the enclosed water to be filtered to produce a "swimming pool" environment in the murky ri ver. The excavation, conducted between 1982and1988, revealed a hull preserved to the level of the lower deck, with bulkheads, both mast stumps and porti ons of the lower deck still intact. Measurements show the hull to be very fu ll-bodied and bluffbowed, with heavy oak frames and planking. The ship measures approximately 75 feet in length with an estimated tonnage of 180. Several dozen intact barrels were located in the bow, along with hundreds of loose staves and head pieces, providing one of the few collections of welldated I 8th-century cooperage avail able fo r study. That these barrels were located well fo rward suggests that at least some of them represent ship 's stores rather than cargo. Markings on some barrels have been traced to government contractors and agents in Great Britain. An article by myself as the project director in the June 1988 issue of National Geographic Magazine reports that the ship excavated at Yorktown was likely a British-built merchant ship which had been leased by the Royal Navy as a military transport. T imbers excavated from the hull suggest that it may have been used at Yorktown as a floating workshop for the fabri cation of a variety of items including timbers to be used for the earthworks on shore. Her general shape and construction, along with the SEA HISTORY 53, SPRING 1990
coal fo und in her bilges, suggests that she may have been built in England as a coal-carrier, or collier. In addition to extensive media coverage, incl uding the National Geographic article and inclu sion in a public television documentary produced by BBCTV , a new exhibiti on, "Yorktown 's Sunken Fleet," opened 1 June 1988 in the main gallery of Yorktown Victory Center, a state museum in Yorktown Virginia. Planning is now underway for incorporating the Yorktown shipwreck material into the new, permanent exhibit at the Victory Center. Research at Yorktown was conducted with the annual parti cipation of the Program in Maritime History and Underwater Research at East Carolina University. This successful cooperative program concluded with a fo ur-week fi eld school in July 1988, whe n students working at the cofferdam received training in excavation , recording, safety, onsite cataloging and conservati on. Current efforts on the Yorktown Project include conservation of the remaining artifacts, analysis of artifac ts and hull remains, and the preparati on of final reports on the project. The site has yielded a wide variety of artifac ts assoc iated with military supplies, shipboard stores and personal items, all of which are being studied for analys is and reporting. In addition to research being conducted by the two-person project staff, dozens of outside experts have offered assistance with analysis of hull remains, botanical samples, ball ast, coal, shoes, ceramics, bottles , cl ay pipes, cooperage, fi sh and animal bones, and other materials. Hull measurements are being entered into the computer, with the assistance of Advanced Marine Enterpri ses, Virginia Beach, where a computer-aided design and drafting system (CADD) is producing detailed draw ings and hull lines. Yorktow n Shipwreck 44Y088 is providing valuable info rmation on l 8th century merchant ships, and additional discoveries are expected to emerge as research continues. However, the project is currentl y threatened by a shortage of funds. Funding to complete the research, conservation and publication was not appropri ated from Federal or State agencies.For further info rmation, contact John D. Broadwater, Senior Underwater Archaeologist, Va. Dept. of Historic Resources, PO Drawer A, Bldg. 22, Willi amsburg VA 23 187. D
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