Archaeology

Wrecked! Uncover the Secrets Behind Artifact Conservation

Wrecked! Uncover the Secrets Behind Artifact Conservation

amy.gress2020-01-14T11:50:40-05:00April 20th, 2016|

How do you restore an artifact that's been on the ocean floor for over 200 years? From the moment we began excavating the 1782 British loyalist shipwreck off St. Augustine's coast in 2010, our team of archaeological conservators faced the monumental task of cleaning up all of the recovered artifacts. Over the six field seasons spent diving on this wreck, now the subject of our new Wrecked! exhibition, more than 600 artifacts were recovered. Each one requires [...]

Wrecked! Go Behind-the-Scenes with Lighthouse Archaeologists

amy.gress2016-04-13T08:00:20-04:00April 13th, 2016|

From now until our Wrecked! Exhibition Grand Opening on May 5th, we will be sharing weekly videos with insights on the new exhibit every Tuesday on Periscope, followed by a re-cap blog post and video every Wednesday. Follow along as we unveil this exciting new exhibit at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum! Do you know how archaeologists find shipwrecks? This and many other questions about the science behind underwater archaeology are answered in our new [...]

Introducing Star Waters!

Introducing Star Waters!

amy.gress2016-04-04T08:00:10-04:00April 4th, 2016|

Over the next month as we approach the grand opening of our new exhibition, Wrecked!, we will be featuring blog and social media posts from our newest Museum team member, Ms. Star Waters! Star has an integral role in the new exhibition which she will be sharing here and in her total takeover of our social media accounts on May 4th! Hey guys! Gotta love those #BeachSelfies! Wow, is this totally exciting or [...]

Lighthouse Volunteers Record Jacques Cousteau Anchor

Lighthouse Volunteers Record Jacques Cousteau Anchor

amy.gress2016-02-10T08:00:22-05:00February 10th, 2016|

On January 27, archaeologists with the Museum’s research arm, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), received an interesting call about a historic anchor that had recently been recovered from Ponce Inlet, about an hour south of St. Augustine. The Calypso docked at St. Augustine in 1985, after the completion of an extensive overhaul by St. Augustine Trawlers. (photo from the Daytona Beach Morning Journal, April 13, 1985) When LAMP received the call from [...]

SHA 2016 is a Success! – Storm Wreck Symposium Presented in the Nation’s Capital

SHA 2016 is a Success! – Storm Wreck Symposium Presented in the Nation’s Capital

amy.gress2016-01-13T08:00:09-05:00January 13th, 2016|

This letter, concerning the Storm Wreck vessel’s wrecking event, was written exactly 233 years before lighthouse archaeologists presented research on this wreck at the 49th annual SHA conference in Washington, D.C. On January 9, 1783, the commander of the British Royal Army in East Florida, Lieutenant Colonel Archibald McArthur, wrote a letter to the British Commander in Chief, Sir Guy Carleton, to inform him of the loss of the Rattlesnake, two victualing ships, [...]

Dr. Sam Turner Awarded Grant to Study Historic St. Augustine Artillery

Dr. Sam Turner Awarded Grant to Study Historic St. Augustine Artillery

amy.gress2016-01-11T08:00:25-05:00January 11th, 2016|

Last year, Dr. Sam Turner, Director of Heritage Boatworks and an Historian and Maritime Archaeologist at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, was invited to become a Research Associate of the Historic St. Augustine Research Institute (HSARI). The Institute is a collaborative project of Flagler College and the University of Florida, supported by the St. Augustine Foundation, Inc. The Institute funds research projects that focus primarily on scholarly research into St. Augustine’s historic heritage, [...]

Making of an Exhibit: Boxes & Beginnings

amy.gress2016-01-11T08:00:21-05:00January 11th, 2016|

What does it take to build a brand new museum exhibit? Over the next few months, we’re going to give you exclusive access behind the scenes as our team works together to create Wrecked! a new experience coming to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum in May 2016. Wrecked! A (brief) origin story Here’s the first thing you need to know about making an exhibit: It takes a long time. If you want to be technical [...]

Weighty artifacts

amy.gress2015-12-30T08:00:21-05:00December 30th, 2015|

New conservation projects have taken a short break as the archaeology staff prepares for the annual Society for Historical Archaeology conference in Washington D.C., January 5-10. The SHA conference is one of the largest meetings of the year and also one of the most pertinent to underwater archaeology. The research arm of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), will be presenting findings on the Storm Wreck. Staff archaeologists, conservators [...]

Update on the Sea Service Pistol

Update on the Sea Service Pistol

amy.gress2015-11-25T08:00:44-05:00November 25th, 2015|

Over the last month, I have been working on the flintlock pistol (previously discussed here). After separating the other artifacts, I removed some of the concretion from the pistol itself. I did not want to take too much off or get too close to the surface of any artifact materials. Instead, we took the pistol back to get additional x-rays and see if there were any hidden surprises. Taking new x-rays of the pistol. [...]

Shifting tides at the Lighthouse

Shifting tides at the Lighthouse

amy.gress2015-10-14T08:00:41-04:00October 14th, 2015|

Autumn brings the smell of wood smoke, washed sunlight, and relief from the oven of summer. Around St. Augustine, wood smoke as often indicates a backyard campfire as someone smoking fish. Mullet are on the beach, we’ve had our first fall Nor’easter, and all seems to be about right here in the Ancient City. Fall brings high tides every year, but 2015 has been exceptional. Check out this picture taken at high tide on [...]

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