Field School students and volunteers prepare for diving operations during the 2009 Field School. Join us as we conduct maritime archaeology at the nation's oldest port!

The 2010 Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) Field School will be held May 31 - June 26, 2010 at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. This comprehensive 4-week field practicum will focus on the continued excavation of an unidentified 19th-century ballast pile to make a determination whether it represents the remains of the Confederate privateer Jefferson Davis, lost on the St. Augustine bar in August 1861 after the most successful cruise of the entire war. We will also staging test excavations on a new unidentified shipwreck site discovered during last year's survey efforts.

Continue reading "5/31/10 - 6/26/10 Summer Field School 2010" »

Father Tom Willis, pastor of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine, offers blessing to the research vessel Desmond Valdes during the annual Palm Sunday ceremony.

For the first time, LAMP participated in St. Augustine's traditional Blessing of the Fleet ceremony yesterday. This tradition, which once saw hundreds of trawlers decorated with flags gathering in Matanzas Bay in hopes of a bountiful shrimp harvest, has been carried out in St. Augustine since at least 1946, and draws thousands of spectators to St. Augustine every Palm Sunday. This year LAMP's research vessel Desmond Valdes, with two LAMP archaeologists and two generations of the Valdes family on board, took its place in line and received a blessing along with dozens of other commercial and recreational boats.

Continue reading "3/28/2010 Blessing of the Fleet" »

The 2010 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology will be held from March 17 through March 20th. As usual, the Symposium will feature speakers from around the country who will give presentations related to underwater archaeology and maritime history research projects in St. Augustine and around the world. This year we are partnering with the St. Augustine Historical Society to bring you "St. Augustine and the Sea II," the sequel to St. Augustine and the Sea symposium in February. After three days of presentations, the Symposium culminates in the 18th annual Lighthouse Maritime Festival.

Continue reading "3/17-20/10 Fourth Annual Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology" »

Join us this Friday and Saturday, February 26-27, as we celebrate the rich maritime history of our nation's oldest port. The St. Augustine and the Sea symposium is sponsored by the St. Augustine Historical Society, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, and the City of St. Augustine. All events are free and open to the public!

For a full schedule of speakers, please continue reading below . . .

Continue reading "2/26-27/2010 St. Augustine and the Sea!" »

Presentation Title: Blood in the Inlet: St. Augustine and its History With Pirates
Speaker: Brendan Burke, LAMP
When: THIS WEDNESDAY, December 9th, 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Where: Flagler Auditorium (west of the Lightner Museum), St. Augustine

Continue reading "12/09/09 Presentation: Discover First America Lecture Series "Pirates! Fact and Fiction"" »

Event: LAMP Boatworks' Bevin's Skiff on dislplay at the Antique and Classic Boat Show
When: Friday November 13 to Saturday November 14, 2009, 10 am to 4 pm each day
Where: Maritime & Classic Boat Museum at Indian RiverSide Park, Jenson Beach, Florida

Continue reading "11/13-14/09 Event: LAMP Boat on display at the Antique and Classic Boat Show, Jenson Beach" »

Event: LAMP Boatbuilders and boat on display at the "Pirate Gathering" Festival
When: Saturday, November 14, 2009, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Francis Field, St. Augustine, Florida

Presentation Title: Maritime Archaeology in the Nation's Oldest Port
Speaker: Brendan Burke, LAMP Archaeologist/Logistical Coordinator
When: Saturday November 14, 2:00 pm
Where: St. Augustine Beach Library

Presentation Title: The Search for the Submarine USS O-9
Speaker: Dr. David Switzer, Plymouth State University
When: Thursday, October 29, 2009, at 7:00 pm
Where: Anastasia Gallery (upstairs Keeper's House), St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

Come join LAMP research associate Dr. David Switzer as he shares the story of a NOAA expedition in search of a lost submarine and answers to an unsolved U.S. Navy mystery! The United States submarine USS O-9 was launched at Quincy, Massachusetts in 1918 to serve in World War I. She never saw war service but conducted cruises off the Canal Zone in the 1920s. She was decommissioned in 1931 and ten years later as the clouds of war were darkening Europe she was recommissioned. Her new life was to serve as a "training boat" out of New London, Connecticut. But first it was necessary that the USS O-9 and others of the class take a deep submergence test.

Continue reading "10/29/09 Presentation: Search for the Submarine USS O-9" »

Presentation Title: "Fast Food Changes: St. Augustine and its Harvest of the Sea"
Speaker: Mr. Brendan Burke, LAMP
When: Tuesday, October 27th, 2009, at 6:30 pm
Where: First Coast Technical College, Building C

The Slow Food First Coast group seeks to "reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food. We seek to inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat." Brendan will be presenting a lecture to the Slow Food Group on St. Augustine's role in affecting the culinary habits of US consumers throughout the 20th century. By producing thousands of shrimp boats to help create one of the largest fishing fleets in the world St. Augustine left its mark in how Americans eat and view seafood. Subsequently, the importation of farmed shrimp led to a decline in domestic shrimping, severely cutting the size of the US shrimping fleet and lengthening the distance between our seafood and our plate.

The replica Nina after arrival to St. Augustine.

Remember the arrival of the Nina and Pinta here in St. Augustine on May 9th? Judyth Piazza and her radio show The American Perspective on the Student Operated Press (theSOP.com) interviewed LAMP's Brendan Burke that day and the interview has recently posted. Click the link below to follow to theSOP.com's website and listen!

CLICK HERE

Program Title: "Shipwreck Timber Recording Workshop," followed by a BBQ social for the Flagler College Archaeology Club
Workshop Taught by: Chuck Meide, LAMP Director, and other LAMP staff
When: Workshop is on Friday, October 23rd, 2009, at 1:00 to 4:00pm, followed by the BBQ social immediately afterwards at 4:00 pm
Where: LAMP Headquarters (old Coast Guard Barracks) at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Who's Invited: This activity is open to members of the Flagler College Archaeology Club

Continue reading "10/23/09 Shipwreck Recording Workshop and Archaeology Club Social" »

Presentation Title: "The Galveztown Replica Project"
Speaker: Dr. Sam Turner, LAMP
When: Tuesday, October 13th, 2009, at 7:00 pm
Where: Bowden Building located at 120 Church St., Pensacola, Florida
Sponsored by: Pensacola Archaeological Society

Continue reading "10/13/09 Presentation: "The Galveztown Replica Project"" »

Event: Special Tour of LAMP and the Lighthouse for Florida Sea Grant Adult Daycamp
When: Friday, October 9th, 2009, at 9:30 to 4:00 pm
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Who's Invited: This private event is open to participants in the Florida Sea Grant Adult Daycamp program

This was a great group and everyone seemed to find their visit enjoyable and educational. The participants got a personalized tour of LAMP's facilities, a tasty home-made box lunch from the Keeper's Cafe, a ride on our research vessel, and an opportunity to explore the museum and Lighthouse. They even got a chance to get their hands dirty and helped us sort through archaeological material recovered by dredges on our shipwreck site this summer. Thanks everyone!

Home School Days Presentation Title: "Shipwreck Discovery"
Speaker: Education Department and LAMP staff
When: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009, at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Who's Invited: This activity, which addresses Sunshine Standards and is appropriate for ages 2-17, is part of our Home School Days program. If you are a home schooler and are interested in participating in this or other home school programs at the Lighthouse, please call Director of Education Chris Kastle at 904-829-0745.

Wednesday's Home School program will consist of three individual activities at pre-arranged stations. Station Two will consist of "Basics of Underwater Archeology," in which LAMP archaeologists will demonstrate the use of a variety of equipment used by underwater archeologists, discuss what it is exactly that underwater archeologists do, and will also talk about current LAMP projects. Click here to learn more about the October 7th Home School Days Shipwreck Discovery Program, including a brief discussion of all three stations.

Event: Special Tour of LAMP and the Lighthouse for AIA Board of Trustees
When: Friday, October 2nd, 2009, at 2:30 to 6:00 pm
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Who's Invited: This private event is open to the Board of Trustees of the Archaeological Institute of America

The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology. The nonprofit Institute was founded in 1879 and chartered by the United States Congress in 1906. Today, the AIA has nearly 200,000 members belonging to more than 100 societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas. The organization is unique because it counts among its members professional archaeologists, students, and many others from all walks of life. The AIA exists to promote archaeological inquiry and public understanding of the material record of the human past worldwide, and its diverse membership shares a passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge. The AIA publishes the scholarly American Journal of Archaeology as well as the popular Archaeology Magazine, and they sponsor the popular Maya at the Playa Conference going on right now just south of St. Augustine in Palm Coast.

LAMP and the Lighthouse are honored to have this opportunity to host the Trustees of this exemplary organization and to share with them all of the work that we do to research and preserve the archaeological heritage of northeast Florida.

The Alligator as she last appeared.

Presentation Title: "Gator in the Weeds: Exploring the History of the Steamboat Alligator and other Ocklawaha Riverboats"
Speaker: Mr. Brendan Burke, LAMP
When: Monday, September 28th, 2009, at 7:00 pm
Where: Clay County Historical Society, OId Clay County Courthouse, Green Cove Springs.

LAMP archaeologist Brendan Burke will be giving a presentation focusing on the past year's search for the Alligator. Operating as a passenger vessel on the Ocklawaha River during the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, the Alligator was also converted into one of Florida's earliest reserach vessels. C. B. Moore's hunt for native mound sites was, for a number of year, headquartered onboard the Alligator. Last winter LAMP was involved in a search for the Alligator and has been investigating one wreck site in particular on the shores of Crescent Lake. Come hear about our expedition to find the Alligator!

http://claycountyhistoricalsociety.org/

Directions: Take your best route from St. Augustine to Green Cove Springs. Cross the Shands Bridge and follow the road until you hit Hwy 17. At this highway, turn right. At the second lighted intersection in town, turn left on to Walnut St. Follow the road around for about five blocks. The Old 1890's County Courthouse will be on the left side of the road. You can park on the road or in the parking lot of the School Board opposite. The lecture will be held in the downstairs meeting room.

Presentation Title: Florida's Fleet: An Ebb Tide of Shrimping
Speaker: Brendan Burke
Time: Tuesday, September 1st, 2009, 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Place: Flagler Room, Flagler College, downtown St. Augustine

Join Brendan Burke, Maritime Archaeologist at LAMP (Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program) in St. Augustine, as he presents the findings of a recent oral history and archival research project concerning the area's long and active shrimping and shrimp boat building industries.

The 2010 LAMP Field School announcement is now online! Click here to learn about our upcoming summer field school, May 31-June 26.

UPDATE: The 2009 Field School was a great success! Click here to read the 2009 Field School blog posts!

Below is the original announcement for the 2009 Field School:

The 2009 Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) Field School will be held June 8-26, 2009 at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. This comprehensive 3-week field practicum will focus on the testing of an unidentified ballast pile to make a determination whether it represents the remains of the Confederate privateer Jefferson Davis, lost on the St. Augustine bar in August 1861 after the most successful cruise of the entire war. Alternate inshore sites will be investigated depending on conditions offshore.

Continue reading "6/8-6/26/2009: LAMP 2009 Summer Field School" »

What: Historically accurate replicas of the Nina and the Pinta, open to the public for tours
Where: St. Augustine City Marina
When: 9am-6pm, May 6th - May 17th, 2009
Who: These two replica ships are operated by the Columbus Foundation, and were brought to St. Augustine with the help of LAMP and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
How much: Admission for adults is $7, children older than 4 are $5, and senior citizens are $6. A guided group rate of $3 per person is also available for groups of 15 or more. A portion of each admission goes to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum.

FOR INFORMATION ON THE 2010 SYMPOSIUM (MARCH 17-20, 2010) CLICK HERE!

The 2009 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology will be held at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum in America's oldest port, St. Augustine, Florida, from March 25 to March 27, 2009.

Continue reading "3/25/09-3/27/09 The 3rd Annual Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology" »

Presentation Title: Before the Wreck: The Intimate Life of a Pilot Schooner
Speaker: Brendan Burke
Time: Thursday, March 12th, 7:00 pm
Place: Anastasia Gallery (upstairs in Keeper's House), St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

You are invited to attend a talk based on my recent experience aboard the schooner Virginia, a 126' replica Chesapeake Bay pilot schooner. Owned by the Virginia Maritime Heritage Organization, Virginia sails as the goodwill ambassador ship for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I was recently invited to guest-crew aboard her for a trip to Miami from Jacksonville, where she was recently berthed for winter layup. Aboard her, I spent a great amount of time talking with the crew and captain about her rigging, sailing, construction, and how she fits into the VMHA's mission to preserve the maritime heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. Join us for an evening of tales on the high seas!

The talk will be held in the SALH Gallery at 7:00 on Thursday, March 12th and should last about 45 minutes. Coffee and water will be provided. See you there!

An artist painting of the Lake George military wharf circa 1759 with the sloop Earl of Halifax and smaller bateaux. The 1758-built British wharf, now submerged, was studied by Bateaux Below and the 250 year old waterfront structure is the topic of a LAMP-sponsored talk by Joseph W. Zarzynski (photo credit: Mark Peckham & Bateaux Below).

Lecture Title: The Wharf That Launched 800 Warships--The History & Archaeology of a French & Indian War Waterfront Structure
Speaker: Joseph W. Zarzynski (Underwater Archaeologist, Bateaux Below, Inc.)
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Anastasia Gallery upstairs in the Keeper's House
When: 6:00 pm, Wednesday February 18, 2009
Sponsored by: LAMP and the St. Augustine Archaeological Association
Special Event: DVD signing and special sale of the documentary "The Lost Radeau"

Continue reading "2/18/09 Lecture: The Wharf That Launched 800 Warships" »

Lecture Title: The Proposed Nation's Oldest Port National Heritage Area
Speaker: Robin Moore, St. Johns County Historic Resource Specialist and LAMP Research Associate
Location: St. Augustine Yacht Club
Date and Time: January 15th, 2009, 11:30 am

Lecture Title: LAMP, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, and the Maritime History of America's Oldest Port
Speaker: Chuck Meide, LAMP Director
Venue: Ponte Vedra Rotary Club
Location: Marsh Landing Country Club, Ponte Vedra
Date and Time: January 15th, 2009, 8:00 am

What: Blacksmithing demonstration with a traditional forge. Items to be made include boat fasteners (spikes, nails, etc.), chain, oyster knives, etc.
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, by the LAMP Boatworks boatbuilding station
When: Thursday and Friday, November 13-14, 2008, 10 am - 4 pm
Who: Sam Turner, LAMP Director of Archaeology, and Brendan Burke, LAMP Archaeologist & Logistical Coordinator
For more information click here

Continue reading "11/13-14/2008 Blacksmithing Demonstration at the Lighthouse" »

Lecture Title: Maritime History of St. Augustine
Presented by: Brendan Burke, LAMP Archaeologist and Logistical Coordinator
When: Saturday, November 8th, 2008, at 2:00 pm
Where: Anastasia Island Branch Library, in the Large Meeting Room (click here for map)
For further information call: 904-209-3730
Click here to download a flier promoting this event.

Lecture Title: Amphoras: Silent Observers of Ancient Maritime History
Speaker: Dr. David Switzer, Plymouth State University
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Keeper's House Gallry
When: Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 7:00 pm
RSVP: Please contact Sara Hansen by email or phone at 904-829-0745
Download flier promoting this event

Continue reading "10/29/08 Lecture: Amphoras: Silent Observers of Ancient Maritime History " »

UPDATED with new information, please see schedule below . . .

The second annual meeting of the Florida Maritime Heritage Association will be held in America's Oldest Port at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, sponsored by the Museum and its research institution, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), on October 17-18, 2008. Anyone associated with a Florida maritime museum, university anthropology/history department or maritime studies program, consulting company, preservation group, government agency, or any other maritime heritage organization is welcome to attend. This blog posting will serve as the official online source of information about the upcoming conference.

Continue reading "10/17-18/08 Florida Maritime Heritage Association Meeting" »

Lecture Title: The Caribbean World of Ponce de León and the Discovery of Florida
Speaker: Dr. Sam Turner, Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program
When: Thursday, September 18, 2008, 7:00 pm
Where: Flagler Room, Flagler College, 74 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida
Sponsored by: St. Augustine Historical Society
For more info call: 904-824-2872

When: 14-28 June 2008
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Instructors: Dr. David Switzer, professor emeritus PSU; Chuck Meide, Director, LAMP; Dr. Sam Turner, Director of Archaeology, LAMP

LAMP, in conjunction with Plymouth State University, will be hosting a maritime archaeological field school practicum from 15-28 June 2008. Three undergraduate-level credit hours are available through PSU. Fieldwork will focus on a 19th century shipwreck offshore St. Augustine but will also include a variety of research activities above and below the water.

For more information click here.

UPDATED: Click here to read the blog entry describing the 2008 Field School!

Victory III at the dock before the cruise.

What: Boat Cruise and Side Scan Sonar Demonstration for the "Unearthing First America" Symposium
When: 29 May 2008, 5:45-8:00 pm
Join symposium speakers and LAMP archaeological staff for a sunset cruise on the Victory III, and witness a demonstration of LAMP's new side scan sonar technology!

Free and open to the public! This river cruise is part of the Unearthing First America Symposium hosted by Flagler College, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, LAMP and the Lighthouse, and the Florida Humanities Council.

Continue reading "05/29/08 Boat Cruise and Sonar Demonstration onboard Victory III" »

Lecturer: LAMP Director Chuck Meide
Lecture Title: Shipwreck Archaeology in America's Oldest Port
Program: One of many lectures making up the "Unearthing First America" Symposium
When: 29 May 2008, 2:00-3:00 pm
Where: Ringhaver Student Center Auditorium, Flagler College campus, St. Augustine

Free and open to the public! The Unearthing First America Symposium (28-30 May 2008) is hosted by Flagler College, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, LAMP and the Lighthouse, and the Florida Humanities Council.

A local diver on the anchor of the Urca de Lima, a Spanish galleon lost in 1715 off Fort Pierce, Florida.

UPDATED: Read the 22 May 08 blog entry about this great event!

LAMP will be staging a training event for members of our volunteer dive team on May 19 and 20th, 2008, in conjunction with the Florida Public Archaeology Network's East Central and Southeast Regional Centers.

Continue reading "05/19-20/08 LAMP Dive training event: the 1715 wreck of the Urca de Lima" »

National Maritime Heritage Area Workshop

HOSTS
GUANA TOLOMATO MATANZAS NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE
ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MUSEUM, INC.
LIGHTHOUSE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MARITIME PROGRAM
SEA GRANT ASSOCIATION
ST. JOHNS COUNTY/PLANNING DIVISION/HISTORIC RESOURCES

Please join us for a National Heritage Area Feasibility Workshop
(Feel free to bring a brown bag lunch.)

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - 12:30 pm until 5:00 pm
GTM NERR Environmental Education Center
505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida 32080

RSVP requested by April 11, 2008
Contact Pam Troll at 904-829-0745, ext 224 or
ptroll@staugustinelighthouse.com

What: 2008 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology
When: 12 to 15 March 2008
Where: St. Augustine, Florida, at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM-NERR) Education Center, also at the St. Augustine Lighthouse on 15 March
Click here to visit the 2008 Symposium webpage, with more info including full program

The Symposium includes three days of presentations at the GTM-NERR Education Center by invited speakers covering a host of topics including prehistoric underwater archaeology, conservation of artifacts from underwater sites, the archaeology of shipwreck sites in Florida and around the world, management of submerged cultural resources, and graduate student archaeological research projects. The final day of the Symposium coincides with the St. Augustine Lighthouse's Maritime Festival, a family-oriented event held at the Lighthouse and expected to draw thousands for a day of fun, food, music, maritime-oriented games and activities, and three encore presentations.

Continue reading "03/12-15/08 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology" »

The first of the First Coast Maritime Archaeology Project lecture series for 2008 will take place at the St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum on Thursday, March 6, at 6 pm. LAMP Director of Archaeology Dr. Sam Turner will present a slideshow lecture titled "Maritime Archaeology in Portarlington, Australia."

Continue reading "03/06/08 Lecture: Maritime Archaeology in Portarlington, Australia" »

UPDATED with pictures from the event included below . . .

Dr. Switzer, a pioneer in the field of nautical archaeology, will be talking about three early projects he was closely involved with. The techniques developed on these sites in the 1960s and 1970s led directly to the methods used today by LAMP archaeologists exploring shipwrecks off St. Augustine, our nation's oldest port.

(UPDATED with pictures from the talk below)

Continue reading "10/25/07 Lecture: The Early Days of Nautical Archaeology" »

Lecture Title: "Perpetually Boyling: Sugar Production in the West Indies and the Archaeological Investigation of the Sugar Mill on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands”
Speaker: Chuck Meide, LAMP Director
Program: "Sweet Digs: Archaeology of Sugar Mills" (three lectures and a tour of Dunlawton Sugar Mill) organized by the Florida Public Archaeology Network, Museum of Arts and Sciences, and Volusia County
When: 31 March 2007, 11 am
Where: Museum of Arts and Sciences, Daytona Beach

For more information click here.

Northeast Florida Symposium on Underwater Archaeology
Various speakers. This three-day symposium is jointly sponsored by the Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas Research Reserve and LAMP. Located at the auditorium in the GTM Reserve Educational Center. Special Rates available at local hotel in Vilano Beach for out of town guests.

When: 20-22 March 2007, 9 to 5 each day
Click here to visit the 2007 Symposium webpage with more information including full program

17 March 2007
Lighthouse Festival
Fun for the whole family, the festival includes everything from pony rides to archaeological exhibits and a maritime archaeology lecture series.
St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, all day event

Lighthouse Festival Lecture Series
(all lectures will take place in the Salt Run Community Center/ St. Augustine Yacht Club, across from the Lighthouse on the water)

Continue reading "03/17/07 Lighthouse Maritime Festival & Lecture Series" »

Sinkhole Dive Demonstration

Sorry, this event has been CANCELLED.

LAMP Divers will stage an underwater archaeology demonstration at Sheeler Lake, a 20,000 year old sinkhole site with the potential to yield prehistoric archaeological sites. Divers will explain the equipment and techniques used for a preliminary reconnaissance dive. This event will take place at the Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Clay County. Call Christy Pritchard at 904-819-6420 for more information.

Boat Tour with LAMP Maritime Archaeologists
On board the Victory III, the premiere tourboat docked at the City Marina, downtown St. Augustine. This event is a fund-raiser for the St. Augustine Archaeological Association. LAMP archaeologists Chuck Meide and Sam Turner will be presenting a personalized custom tour of St. Augustine's maritime landscape as it was meant to be seen, from the sea. The Victory III departs the City Marina dock at 8:45 am. The City Marina dock is just south of the downtown side of the Bridge of Lions. Call Bob Stephens to reserve your space on the boat at 808-7211.

When: 10 March 2007, 8:30 am

Traveling Exhibit: S.S. United States
Traveling exhibit on display at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, focusing on the 1950s Atlantic liner, a maritime engineering marvel for its time. For more information, email Kathleen Hill at khill@stagustinelighthouse.com.

When: 02 March - 27 April 2007, regular operating hours (9am - 6 pm)
Where: St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Keeper's House upstairs gallery

CPR/First Aid Training for LAMP volunteers
When: 26-27 February 2007
Where: Red Cross Office, U.S. Highway 1, St. Augustine
Instructor: Rick Cain

Underwater archaeologist Joseph W. Zarzynski will present a program on the flagship of "The Sunken Fleet of 1758," a British fleet from the Seven Years War (French and Indian War). He will history, discovery, and underwater archaeological study of the "The Lost Radeau," a strange seven-sided floating gun battery, a type of floating fortress, that was discovered by archaeologists in Lake George in 1990. The British warship, lying in 107 ft. of water, is often called "North America's oldest 'intact' warship" because of its incredible structural integrity, preserved by the cold freshwater of the Adirondack Mountains waterway.

Continue reading "02/24/07 Lecture: Lake George, New York's 1758 LAND TORTOISE Shipwreck: The History and Archaeology of "The Lost Radeau"" »

What: Archaeology of St. Augustine and Northeast Florida, Short Course offered through the First Coast Technical Institute
When: 21 February - 24 March 2007
Price: $79

This course is sponsored by the St. Augustine Archaeological Association, LAMP, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, and the City of St. Augustine. It consists of four lectures on successive Wednesday nights, plus two days of field work with archaeologists, and is geared towards members of the public interested in learning more about archaeology, especially if they are interested in volunteering to dig on archaeological sites. One of the four lectures is on underwater archaeology and will be presented by LAMP staff. The cost for this course is $79 and those interested in enrolling should call 904-241-0034 for more information.

LAMP Lecture:
7 March 2007
Lecture "Underwater Site Types"
Speaker: Chuck Meide, LAMP Director
An overview of the methodology used and the types of sites encountered by underwater archaeologists. One of four lectures offered through the First Coast Technical Institute (see course description above). The lecture open only to those enrolled in the class.

Presentation: "Update on LAMP's recent and upcoming research activities"
Speaker: Chuck Meide
Program: St. Augustine Archaeological Association meeting
Where: Salt Run Community Center (near Lighthouse Boatramp), St. Augustine
When: 9 January 2007, 7 pm