Underwater archaeology by braille: Survey methodology and site characterization modeling in a blackwater environment - A study of a scuttled confederate ironclad, CSS Georgia.

Abstract

Advancement in the science and application of underwater remote-sensing instrumentation has provided the archaeologist with the tools to conduct research in a blackwater environment. This paper discusses the development, application, and methodological approach used to conduct an underwater survey and site characterization of a scuttled Confederate ironclad, the Georgia, in a dynamic tidal and zero-visibility riverine environment. Remote-sensing data collected from this Civil War shipwreck have provided interpretative information to help reconstruct the structural and physical integrity of this important historic shipwreck as she lies in 18 m of water in Savannah Harbor, Georgia. Detailed methodological techniques and a zero-visibility archaeological site characterization model are presented. The model to be presented includes the reconstruction of the site through the use of marine remote-sensing instrumentation and the integration of these data to formulate the interpretative framework.