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| Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago | |
|---|---|
| Name | Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago |
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Region served | Great Lakes |
Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago is a volunteer organization focused on recording, preserving, and interpreting submerged cultural resources in the waters of Lake Michigan, Chicago River, and adjacent Great Lakes basins. Founded by diver-historians and maritime scholars, the Society collaborates with municipal agencies, academic institutions, and national heritage bodies to document shipwrecks, maritime infrastructure, and submerged landscapes. Its work intersects with preservation frameworks, museum curation, and public history initiatives.
The Society was formed in the late 20th century amid growing interest in wreck preservation following high-profile surveys like those conducted by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center, and university programs such as University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee maritime archaeology. Early members included recreational divers influenced by discoveries associated with Erie Canal, S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, and field methods promoted by Institute of Nautical Archaeology and Society for Historical Archaeology. Projects built on precedents set by State of Michigan underwater surveys and collaborations with agencies like the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and National Park Service's maritime programs.
The Society's mission emphasizes non-intrusive documentation, stewardship, and public interpretation, aligning with standards from Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation and guidance from UNESCO marine heritage recommendations. Routine activities include underwater site mapping influenced by protocols from Council for British Archaeology, artifact recording comparable to practices at Smithsonian Institution conservation labs, and archival research in collections such as Newberry Library and Chicago History Museum. The Society also participates in cultural resource management dialogues with entities like U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
Members have surveyed wrecks associated with identifiable voyages; examples include timber schooners contemporaneous with Canal Age, steamships like those related to Erie Railroad traffic, and 19th-century packet boats similar to craft referenced in Chicago Fire of 1871 era commerce. Projects have documented construction details comparable to findings from USS Michigan (1843), hull features studied in Great Lakes schooner research, and cargo evidence echoing trade routes linked to St. Lawrence Seaway. The Society's surveys have contributed data to inventories maintained by Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, Wisconsin Historical Society, and national registers such as the National Register of Historic Places for submerged resources.
Fieldwork employs non-intrusive archaeological methods consistent with manuals from Nautical Archaeology Society and technological approaches used by teams at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Survey techniques include baseline transects, photogrammetry practices paralleling work at Belfast Maritime Museum, and side-scan sonar operations resembling deployments by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Conservation-aware handling follows precedents from Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts and treatment protocols used by the Smithsonian Institution Conservation Laboratory.
The Society organizes volunteers into dive teams, research committees, and outreach groups modeled after structures seen in Explorers Club chapters and student groups at Michigan State University maritime programs. Leadership roles have interfaced with municipal entities such as the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and venues like DePaul University for meetings and lectures. Membership draws professionals and amateurs with backgrounds linked to institutions including Great Lakes Research Center, Lake Superior State University, and private firms like Underwater Archaeological Services.
Educational programming includes public lectures, exhibits, and collaboration with museums and festivals similar to partnerships between Mystic Seaport Museum and regional heritage days. The Society produces interpretive materials informed by archival sources from Library of Congress and curatorial standards from American Alliance of Museums. Outreach has extended to schools, scout organizations, and maritime conferences such as International Congress on Underwater Archaeology and regional heritage symposia.
The Society has partnered with federal and state bodies including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and academic partners at University of Illinois at Chicago and Northwestern University. Funding sources combine membership dues, grants from foundations modeled on National Endowment for the Humanities, project support from agencies like Great Lakes Protection Fund, and in-kind contributions from dive shops, marinas, and community organizations such as Chicago Maritime Museum.
Category:Maritime archaeology organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in Chicago