UNC CSI Presents ‘Our Underwater Heritage’ Lecture Series
The UNC Coastal Studies Institute will host the eighth presentation in the “Our Underwater Heritage” Lecture series on November 4, at 6pmat the UNC CSI campus site on Roanoke Island. The lecture series, held monthly, features presentations from maritime archaeologists and graduate students on a variety of maritime archaeology projects in coastal North Carolina.
This month’s program, entitled, “A Mobile Mystery: The History and Archaeology of the Corolla Wreck” will be presented by Daniel Brown, Maritime Archaeologist with the South Carolina Institute for Archaeology and Anthropology.
Mr. Brown’s lecture will focus on the “Corolla Wreck”, a beached shipwreck that first washed ashore in 2010 and is believed to be one of the oldest shipwrecks ever discovered in North Carolina waters. Brown’s presentation will outline both the discovery of the wreck and the archaeological investigation of this important piece of maritime heritage.
The analysis of wreck site 0022CKB, popularly known as the “Corolla Wreck”, presented an opportunity to study early 17th century wooden ship remains in the context of early European settlement of Atlantic North America. Over a period of two years, numerous research questions stemming from archaeological and historical observations sought to answer whether the extant remains of the Corolla Wreck could offer conclusions as to the shipwreck’s identity and origins when compared to contemporary wreck sites. Historical research also provides possible answers as to the origin and purpose of this wreck, and what part it may have played in Atlantic commerce and colonization. Research regarding the archaeological site formation processes of this wreck site could serve as a model for the future study of beached wrecks on the Outer Banks.
This lecture series was made possible through the assistance of a grant from the Outer Banks Community Foundation (OBCF). The “Our Underwater Heritage” Lecture series is s a year-long maritime heritage-themed speaker series on the Outer Banks. The program will celebrate the rich maritime heritage of northeastern North Carolina, with particular attention given to the wealth of shipwrecks found in our estuarine, coastal and offshore waters.
The result of a collaboration between the UNC Coastal Studies Institute (Maritime Heritage Program), East Carolina University (Program in Maritime Studies, Department of History), and the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (NC Department of Cultural Resources) the program of presentations will see scholars from East Carolina University, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research travel to the area each month from January to May and September to December to give presentations regarding ongoing or recently completed maritime archaeological investigations.
The series, titled “Our Underwater Heritage: Maritime Archaeology Projects in Coastal North Carolina”, will highlight a diversity of topics in local underwater archaeology, from the reconstruction of pivotal battles, iconic shipwrecks, and critical industries of yesteryear, to the challenges involved in the study and preservation of our maritime history.
Graduate Students in the Program in Maritime Studies map and document the remains of the “Corolla Wreck”. (photo by John McCord)
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