The 2018 Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) field school has successfully concluded. This year we had students from across the country come to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum to learn about underwater archaeology, enhance their diving skills and help excavate our the Anniversary Wreck site and at several other shipwreck locations.
Written by Megan Bebee and Silvana Kreines
As supervisors, we have conquered the challenges the students will face during the season. Most of us originally came here as students, with this being our first experiences with underwater archaeology. With this experience under our weight belts, we are able to relate to the students, better understand what they are feeling, and better understand what they are expected to accomplish and learn; with this knowledge and experience, we can better guide them through their time at the LAMP field school. Supervising and leading students both underwater and on land has honed our leadership skills, which will prepare us for our professional future both in diving and archaeology.
The difference between our experience as students verses supervisors is that now we get to see all the behind the scenes operations which include getting the site ready for the students’ arrival, preparing tools and materials for their use, and participate in scheduling and planning activities. We now feel more confident in our abilities to go out into the world and create a safe and productive operation plan. As supervisors, we get the fulfilling experience of watching the students grow as the weeks progress. From some starting with just weeks to a couple years of experience to being able to navigate their way through the low visibility and harsh waters for which St. Augustine is famous.
As supervisors we get to help students hone their diving and archaeological skills. Between the five supervisors this year, we have 32 years of diving experience. This allows us to guide students effortlessly on site and help them develop good diving and safety habits and practices. It is amazing to see how the students develop and evolve as divers from the first week of training dives to the last week on site. By the end of the season, all of the students have become much more comfortable and confident in the water to the point that sometimes they lead us around.
However, the most moving part of this journey that we get to witness is how much they each grow as individuals. We spend all week diving together, living in the same house, and going out together on weekends. As we all know from our personal experiences, field school is an amazing place to make lifelong friends, and, as supervisors, we have gotten to watch these relationships develop between students. This in turn allows the students to grow more confident and independent. As the students continue in their careers, they will come to realize that these new friendships are the start of a vast professional network that will help carry them through to amazing future prospects.
Though the techniques and methodology they learn through the field school is invaluable, the relationships the students have made with each other and the supervisors and staff at LAMP will prove the most valuable for their futures. We cannot wait to see where they go next and the projects they will one day direct themselves!