Fall 2006 Field Operations Plan

Queen Anne’s Revenge Field Operations – October 2006

Chris Southerly, Project Archaeologist/Field Director

I. Purposes/Goals

  1. Fully excavate, document, and recover artifacts from up to 1500 square feet in the offshore and stern zones of the site area
  2. Map and photo document any newly exposed areas of site
  3. Collect sand elevations from established locations, establish additional locations
  4. Offer educational/experience opportunities to marine science and underwater archaeology students
  5. Recover 4 cannon from within the planned excavation area
  6. Evaluate accuracy/reliability of stratified sampling

II. Participants (* approved diver)

  1. NC UAB-QAR
    1. *Chris Southerly – Project Archaeologist, Field Director, Dive Safety Officer
    2. *Mark Wilde-Ramsing – Archaeologist, Project Director
    3. *Richard Lawrence – Archaeologist, UAB Branch Supervisor
    4. *Nathan Henry – Archaeologist, Conservator
    5. *Julep Gillman-Bryan – Dive Safety Officer, Vessel Captain, Underwater Photographer
    6. Sarah Watkins-Kenney – Project Chief Conservator
    7. *Wendy Welsh – Project Field Conservator, Archaeologist
    8. *Valerie Grussing – Conservator Technician
    9. Barbara Brooks – Office Administrator
    10. Karen Browning – Archaeological Technician
    11. *John Masters – Underwater Archaeologist Technician
    12. *Anne Corscadden – Underwater Archaeologist
    13. *Steven Lambert – Underwater Archaeologist
    14. *Franklin Price – Underwater Archaeologist
  2. QAR Volunteer Staff
    1. *Rick Allen – Videographer
    2. Jim Craig – Geologist
    3. Linda Carnes-McNaughton – Conservator Assistant
    4. Lindley Butler – Historian
    5. Sim Wilde- Education Coordinator
    6. Lauren Hermley - Archaeologist
  3. NC Maritime Museum
    1. *Dave Moore – Archaeologist
    2. David Nateman – Museum Director
  4. Intersal
    1. Phil Masters – Documentary Coordinator
  5. North Carolina Marine Fisheries (R/V Shell Point)
    1. Tom Piner – Vessel Captain
    2. Jason Hill – Vessel Mate
    3. Jerry Spencer – Vessel Mate
  6. Visiting Scientists/VIP Guests
    1. *Roger Smith – Florida State Underwater Archaeologist
    2. *Susan Langley – Maryland State Underwater Archaeologist
    3. Linda Carnes-McNaughton – Visiting Archaeologist
    4. Larry Murphy – National Park Service Underwater Archaeologist
    5. Rob Reedy – R2U Underwater Consultants
    6. Rob Westrick – Archaeologist

III. Decision Making/Authority

  1. Project Operations – Chris Southerly will supervise and coordinate all project operations, with contributions from senior staff and task supervisors.
  2. Vessel Operations – The boat captain(s), in consultation with project and diving supervisors, will have final authority regarding cancellation or termination of field operations due to adverse sea or weather conditions.
  3. Diving Operations – All diving operations will adhere to the guidelines set forth in the NC UAB Diving Safety Manual (2004 revision). Julep Gillman-Bryan (UAB DSO) or Chris Southerly (QAR DSO) will have final authority regarding cancellation or termination of diving activity. The DSO with advisement from the Diving Control Board members will have final authority to determine individual diver competency (staff or visiting) to participate in diving operations.
  4. Artifact Recovery – The field director in conjunction with the field conservator will be responsible for determining recovery status and procedures of any artifact or object according to conservation/documentation protocols.
  5. Internal Communication – Mark Wilde-Ramsing or Chris Southerly will coordinate communication with State Archaeologist, Steve Claggett; NCMM Director, David Nateman; DCR Public Affairs Office, Fay Mitchell-Henderson; and Intersal, Phil Masters regarding the progress of field activities, significant discoveries, or any changes to the plan or scheduling.
  6. External Communication – Mark Wilde-Ramsing or Chris Southerly will be primary point of contact for media interviews and scheduling.

IV. Methodology

  1. Reconnaissance – All areas will be carefully examined for erosive scour and all newly exposed remains will be mapped. No excavation is anticipated in these areas. Only exposed artifacts that are deemed diagnostic or fragile/endangered will be considered for recovery.
  2. Elevations – Sand levels data will be collected at established locations. Sand levels will also be recorded at the beginning and end of each excavation unit as well as for prominent artifacts or concretions within the unit. The top elevations of all baseline stakes and SW unit stakes will be determined relative to the site datum for accurate contour mapping.
  3. Unit Excavation – 5’x5’ units will be established on the site coordinate system according to the overall project recovery plan. All units will be referenced by the SW “stake” trilaterated from the baseline or determined by rigid grid. Sand overburden will be removed with the 6” water induction dredge and placed off site in designated areas. Once the cultural layer is reached, excavation will be done with the 3” water induction dredge. If small artifacts are encountered within a unit (i.e. lead shot or gold flakes) excavated sand will be passed through a staged screening system or a sluice system as appropriate.
  4. Mapping/Documentation – Major artifacts and concretions within the units will be tagged and labeled by the documentation diver. The object will then be sketch mapped and plotted on Mylar showing general shape and orientation and coordinates for the location of the tag. A plan-view digital image will be taken of each tagged object in situ with a scale arrow, indicating north if visibility allows. Once tagged, sketched, and photographed, the object will be removed from the unit and set aside for recovery.
  5. Ballast uncovered by excavation will not be individually tagged. General provenience will be noted on the unit sketch map and the ballast then placed in recovery buckets and brought to the surface at the completion of the individual unit excavation for analysis and storage.
  6. Photography/Videography – Digital photos will be taken of all excavation units as indicated above to document in situ orientation of artifacts. Additional “working” photos will document the excavation and mapping process as visibility allows. Digital video may also be shot of all areas of the site to document conditions and change, and also for visual documentation of work being conducted.
  7. Detailed diving and time information will be maintained, on a task-by-task basis, for assessment of work/time/cost figures.

V. Logistics

  1. Platform
    1. R/V Shell Point (NC Marine Fisheries) will be the primary platform for all field operations.
    2. R/V Snap Dragon (NCUAB) will serve as the support vessel if necessary.
    3. R/V West Bay or R/V Long Bay (NC Marine Fisheries) may assist with large artifact recovery.
  2. Operations
    1. Setup
      1. Moorings will be placed on the West, North, East, and South and on the East screw-eye.
      2. Baseline will be laid and reference lines from the moorings in to the baseline will be placed for convenience and low visibility navigation.
      3. 5x5 units will be trilaterated in from the baseline and marked in the SW corner and a second corner as appropriate.
      4. Once setup, a rigid floating grid will be used to define the excavation units.
    2. Mapping
      1. The site will be subject to visual reconnaissance and all areas previously unmapped (recently uncovered), will be drawn and measured in to the baseline for updates to the site map.
      2. All field drawings will be cleaned up and scanned at the end of each field day.
      3. In situ digital photos will be downloaded from the camera and copies renamed with QAR/Field numbers for scaling and insertion in the CAD site map in unit folders.
      4. Photos will be scaled, drawn, and placed in AutoCAD based on sketch map coordinates for each object.
      5. No object will be removed from the units until fully documented by the mapping diver and tagged by the recovery diver.
    3. Excavation
      1. Excavation of the test units will be done by a diver controlled water induction dredge system.
      2. The pump on R/V Shell Point will be used with a diverter manifold so multiple intakes may operate simultaneously.
      3. Sand overburden in the units will be placed in a designated area off the site, accessible for reburial.
      4. Excavation within the cultural layer will have the outflow pass through gravity/sedimentation sluice or staged screening system for small artifact recovery.
      5. All test units will be backfilled at the completion of fieldwork.
      6. All field notes will be cleaned up and scanned at the end of each field day.
    4. Digital Photography/Videography
      1. Photography will be done using a Nikon Coolpix 995 camera in an Ikelite housing. A second Coolpix 995 camera will be held in reserve, on site.
      2. Video will be done using a Sony HD camera system.
      3. Camera downloads will take place immediately post dive to the QAR laptop for photo review and the photographer/diver will coordinate with the documentation technician to create a text reference file of the shots at that time.
      4. Digital imagery will be done of any exposures from recent erosive scour.
      5. Immediate backups will be made of all digital imagery do a secondary recording device at the end of each day.
    5. Field Conservation, Stabilization, Documentation
      1. All artifacts recovered will follow the Conservation and Artifacts Documentation Protocol established by the QAR Conservation Lab.
    6. Diving
      1. All diving operations will conform to the guidelines set forth by the NC UAB Diving Safety Manual.
    7. Shore support
      1. Monitoring of site operations will be done via the site security camera from the QAR office at IMS.
      2. Air fills for empty SCUBA tanks will be obtained from either Discovery Diving of Beaufort or Olympus Dive Center of Morehead City.

VI. Public Relations

  1. A mutually agreeable public “message” about the project will be discussed and decided upon prior to the initiation of fieldwork regarding:
    1. Purpose
    2. Contributors
    3. Expected Results
    4. Continued Work
  2. Richard Lawrence, Mark Wilde-Ramsing, and Chris Southerly, will determine the content of the above “message”.
  3. Chris Southerly or Mark Wilde-Ramsing will be the main point of contact for media interviews and scheduling. David Nateman will be apprised of any contacts and will handle all museum oriented media inquiries.
  4. All participants likely to interact with the public or press will be briefed on the above “message”
  5. Official press releases will be channeled through Fay Mitchell-Henderson at the DCR Office of Public Affairs using standard QAR “boilerplate” and additional information to be provided in the “message” mentioned above.
  6. Active media participation during the project is not encouraged. Key personnel, as necessary, will determine the appropriateness of end-of-week interviews, or weekly press releases.
  7. All media contacts will be reported promptly to the DCR Office of Public Affairs and State Archaeologist.

VII. Planned Operation Time

  1. October 02 – November 9, 2006
  2. Daily operations will commence by 0800 at the Ft. Macon dock, with vessels leaving the site by 1600 to return to dock, unless work and conditions dictate otherwise.
  3. Barring weather constraints, weekends are off time.
  4. Out of town crew will arrive in Morehead City/Beaufort by Sunday October 1, 2006.
  5. Initial site reconnaissance and basic setup will be conducted from R/V Snap Dragon on Wednesday September 27, 2006.
  6. Cannon recovery from the site will take place during the latter part of the project with support from a larger recovery vessel.
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