06 Jun Biscayne National Park

Greetings from Biscayne National Park. This is the first time I have ever been to a national park, and I can see why this place was preserved for all Americans to enjoy.  The water is gin-clear, the aquatic life is plentiful, and the submerged cultural resources are extensive.  In fact, some of the submerged cultural sites have yet to be excavated; in other words, we have yet to discover entirely what is within the park’s boundaries.  However, the sites that are documented are impressive – such as the Pillar Dollar site that we have been excavating along with East Carolina University for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, not much is known about the Pillar Dollar site due to treasure hunters looting the site for over three decades.  As a result, nearly all of the artifacts have been taken and sold for personal gain, along with the manipulation of the ship structure which makes it very difficult to tell its story.  What we do know is that it was a Spanish vessel, that dates back to the late 18th century, but it’s made of American hickory.  For the next two weeks, the Cultural Resource Management team and East Carolina’s Maritime Studies program will continue to map, document, and preserve what remains of this human heritage site that we all share. This position is a major stepping stone in my pursuit of becoming an underwater archeologist, and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all for the next couple months.  Stay tuned! The following pictures are of us uncovering the Pillar Dollar site: