NC Underwater Archaeology Branch

Administered through OSA, the underwater archaeology office and exhibit building are located at Fort Fisher at Kure Beach from where it oversees field projects up and down the North Carolina coastline. The branch also conducts educational activities including public presentations and tours. For technical information about shipwrecks off the North Carolina coast and specifically about potential Blackbeard vessels, contact Branch Head Richard Lawrence, (910) 458-9042 or visit the Office of State Archaeology web site at: http://www.arch.dcr.state.nc.us/

Richard Lawrence, head of the state Underwater Archaeology Branch in the Division of Archives and History, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, has held that position for nearly 20 years. Involved in a variety of projects statewide, he has investigated hundreds of underwater archaeological sites, including prehistoric canoes, colonial sailing vessels, numerous Civil War shipwrecks and coastal and river steamboats. He was among the first divers to explore the USS Monitor in 1979, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He has been involved with all phases of management and research of the QAR project since its discovery in 1996. He received the Bachelor of Arts degree in archaeology from the University of Colorado, and has written numerous articles on underwater archaeology in North Carolina.

Nathan Henry, lead conservator with the Underwater Archaeology Branch's Kure Beach preservation laboratory, has worked on dozens of shipwrecks in the U.S., particularly Civil War shipwrecks in North Carolina's inland sounds and rivers. Since 1997, he has worked with artifact documentation and conservation with the QAR project. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from UNC-Wilmington, and is completing a Master's thesis in East Carolina University's program in marine studies.

Julep Gillman-Bryan, Dive Safety Officer, Research Vessel Captain, Marine Technician
Born in Columbia, SC, Julep grew up in Sanford, NC, and lived for years aboard a Dutch-built wooden sailboat with her husband Peter. She attended UNC-CH, and is a graduate of the Cape Fear Community College Marine Technology Program. As a US Coast Guard licensed captain, and with certifications as a PADI Master SCUBA Diver Trainer, Emergency First Response Instructor, DAN Oxygen Provider Instructor, and SCUBA repair technician, Julep servesa key role in all UAB field operations. She has worked on scores of shipwreck surveys and
excavations across North Carolina since joining the UAB in 1986. An experienced underwaterphotographer she has taken countless offshore photos recreationally and the majority of underwater photographs on the QAR shipwreck site.

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