The Archaeology of Economic Transition: The Excavation of the San Marcos Shipwreck, a Mid-Nineteenth Century Merchant Sailing Ship Lost at St. Marks, Florida (original) (raw)

Abstract

Maritime activity in the Gulf of Mexico underwent a series of rapid and substantial changes throughout the 19th century. As territorial Florida opened to an influx of settlers, shipping increased dramatically, dominated by a new type of cargo, that of bulk commodities. A series of ports—among them St. Marks and Newport—were established along the St. Marks River to accommodate the expanding cotton, naval stores, and lumber trade. These towns became a communication and commercial nexus between territorial Florida and the industrial and economic centers of the rest of America and Europe. But with a suddenness matching its rise, this trade system would collapse in the St. Marks region, even while it continued to thrive elsewhere. Sometime around the height of this maritime commerce, probably in the 1840s, a sailing merchant ship burned to the waterline near old Fort St. Marks. After the fire was extinguished, whatever cargo that survived was salvaged, and the hull itself was attacked in order to remove as many fasteners and fittings as possible. After this, she lay forgotten for over a century. In March 1992, the site, designated the San Marcos Shipwreck (8WA501), was visited and mapped by students in the Florida State University (FSU) Department of Anthropology class ANT 4131: Techniques of Underwater Site Research. In the summer of 1998, FSU researchers returned to the site as part of the Clovis Underwater ’98 underwater archaeology field school. The extant hull remains were completely excavated and documented, and some 223 artifacts were recovered for analysis and conservation. The purpose of this thesis is to present the results of the archaeological excavation and analysis of the San Marcos Shipwreck, and to place that data into a socio-historical context in order to gain insight into the emerging system of 19th century maritime commerce. The remains of this ship are a reflection of the cultural system that produced it, and of the activities and ideologies of a highly specialized traditional subculture, that of the sailing merchant seaman. As such, its study has provided information about general processes of human behavior in a setting of dynamic technological, social, and economic change.

Figures (87)

Figure 4. Detail from an 1856 nautical chart of the St. Marks River, from the confluence down to the site of old Port Leon (bottom right). From NOAA 1999.

Figure 8. Fort St. Marks as it appeared in 1818. (Olds 1962: Plate X III)

Figure 9. Map of the lower St. Marks River, showing the four major antebellum 19 century port towns (Shofner 1978:4). Not pictured is the earliest and short-lived town of Rock Haven, located further upriver.

side-wheelers, as opposed to stern-wheelers. The latter would not become widespread

whart/pier structures, and refuse scatters associated with riverside town habitation.

Figure 13. Diver using a stringed mapping frame to record the plan view of hull timbers.

Table 2. Location of the permanent datums left in place at either end of the shipwreck.

Figure 15. Location of the San Marcos Shipwreck (8WA 501), plotted on the USGS St. Marks quadrangle map. The entire area between the wreck and the eastern shore is overgrown with aquatic sea

Table 3. Results of salinity tests taken at various tides Six samples of water were collected at the center of the site (15E, 4N) during a complete

Figure 19. Cross-section of keel at 9E. the dimensions of the keel could best be measured by excavating to its bottom surface. the keel is almost completely clear of other articulated timbers, and it was in this area that

Figure 21. One of several massive holes cut directly into the keel during historic (and successful) attempts to salvage copper-alloy drift bolts.

Figure 22. Plan view of frame components between 19E and 20E. The aftermost floor in this illustration is the most complete on the entire shipwreck; its starboard wronghead is intact. The side view of this particular floor is illustrated in Figure 18, bottom.

Table 5. Sided and Molded Dimensions (recorded at the keel) of all frame members between 19 E and 22 E, listed from aft forward. deterioration. This tapering may represent a long, diagonal scarf with a now-missing

Figure 23. Arrangement of floor and futtocks over the keel in grid unit 23 E, 4N. Facing (grid) north or towards the port side of the vessel. Both futtocks measure 22.5 cm across (sided surface). Note the inconsistent spacing of futtocks, which are not well-aligned. Also visible are the degraded upper surfaces of timbers previously exposed above the sediments.

Figure 26. Detail of garboard plank and watercourse or limber channel in 12 E, 04 N.

Figure 25. Area in 12 E, 04 N where a missing port futtock (its former position marked by a protruding dump bolt and trunnel hole) reveals keel, watercourse, garboard strake, and a second, fragmentary, strake of hull planking.

Table 6. Widths of surviving hull planking, starboard side, recorded along the 19 E line It can be assumed that each strake of planking is made up not of one continuous plank,

Figure 37. Copper-alloy clench bolt with clench ring or rove (washer) still in its original location at the head of the bolt. Protruding from the sediment, this photograph was taken before excavation had begun.

Figure 38. Detail of another copper-alloy clench bolt protruding from a floor in 12 E, 02 N. Clench ring has loosened and fallen to the base of the fastener.

Figure 39. Copper-alloy clench bolt, FS 37. Total length is 39.1 cm (15 3/8”

Figure 40. Detail of FS 37, head of bolt and clench ning. The clench ring’s maximum outer diameter is 3.034 cm (1 3/16”)

provides dimensions (recorded before physical or electrical cleaning).

degraded at either end, the distal end of FS 19 has survived intact (this flat end had been

Table 8. Standard late 19"/early 20" century wooden vessel minimum scantlings for various tonnages . Dimensions are sided (width) by molded (thickness), or, in the case of planks or wales, thickness. All measurements in inches. From Desmond 1919: Table 3E. American Shipping (American Lloyd’s). These insurance companies would assign a

Table 9. Standard late 19"/early 20" century minimum fastener diameters for principle timbers, according to tonnage. All measurements in inches. (Desmond 1919: Table 3F). tonnage of the ship. These measurements are probably typical for the late 19" and early

The tonnage figures derived from individual hull member scantlings, and presented in members as measured in situ, and the tonnage estimates derived from each. tonnage can be derived. This figure, 272 tons, is probably a fairly accurate estimate of

than 13 feet. These are also probably fair estimates for the San Marcos vessel. would have an extreme breadth of less than 25 feet, and a depth of hold of somewhat less

Figure 48. The basic components and nomenclature of the running or sheave (single) block. From Bradley 1981: Figure 1 (top) and Stone 1993: Figure 78 (bottom).

Figure 49. The larger pulley sheave, FS 55, was found concreted to a large, unidentified metal artifact (FS 65) and covered in a tar-like deposit. The iron plate (FS 65) measures 22.8 cm by 40.8 cm (approximately 9 by 16 inches).

Figure 50. Sheave, FS 55, after conservation (top and side views).

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Figure 52. Diagram showing the three types of organic rope. After Lever 1998 [1819] Figures 1-3 Ropes were often tarred for better preservation in the marine environment; likewise, manila, were used in England as early as the 1830s. They would not become popular on

Figure 55. Staved container (cask) remains recovered from the San Marcos Shipwreck.

Figure 57. The base of a salt-glazed stoneware jug (FS 74), with an interior brown lead glaze, recovered from the shipwreck. This type of domestic utilitarian ware was used throughout the 19" century.

Figure 58. Small glass jar (FS 44) recovered from the shipwreck. This may have been an ink jar.

Figure 59. Leather shoe (FS 05) in situ, wedged under the outboard edge of the port garboard plank in unit 3 E, 4N

Figure 62. Mass of textile or fabric from 25 E, 3 N, about 60 cm away from the keel.

Table 13. Distribution of artifacts collected, by category Figure 63 is a map of the shipwreck site detailing the distribution of artifacts per fasteners is removed, the total sample is reduced to 184 artifacts.

At this stage, and with such a small artifact sample, this quantitative analysis must be

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