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| Underwater Archaeology Society of Cape Cod | |
|---|---|
| Name | Underwater Archaeology Society of Cape Cod |
| Formation | 1981 |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Headquarters | Cape Cod, Massachusetts |
| Region served | Cape Cod Bay; Atlantic Ocean |
| Leader title | President |
Underwater Archaeology Society of Cape Cod is a regional nonprofit organization dedicated to maritime archaeology, historic shipwreck documentation, and cultural resource stewardship around Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The society conducts underwater survey, excavation, artifact conservation, and public education, operating in coordination with state and national bodies. It has contributed to regional maritime heritage through collaborations with museums, universities, and government agencies.
The organization emerged in the early 1980s amid increasing interest in maritime heritage sparked by events such as the rediscovery of the Whydah Gally and the growing role of organizations like the National Park Service, Massachusetts Historical Commission, and the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society. Founders included local divers, historians, and members of institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Peabody Essex Museum, who sought to document wrecks in Cape Cod Bay and along the Atlantic Coast (North America). Early projects drew support from federal programs managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and academic partners at institutions like Boston University, the University of Massachusetts Boston, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Over time the society adapted practices influenced by international guidelines from organizations like the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage and standards promulgated by the Society for Historical Archaeology, while interacting with regional entities such as the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and the State Archaeologist of Massachusetts.
Membership has historically included certified divers, archaeologists, conservators, and volunteers drawn from local communities and nearby academic centers like Harvard University, MIT, and the University of Rhode Island. The governance structure mirrors nonprofit models seen at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and includes committees for research, conservation, outreach, and safety, integrating certification frameworks from bodies like the American Practical Diving Consultants and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. The society collaborates with museums such as the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum for artifact curation, and maintains liaisons with federal entities including the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Coast Guard for operational coordination. Funding sources have included grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and private foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Research themes include shipbuilding analysis, ballast and cargo studies, and landscape archaeology of coastal sites investigated alongside universities such as the University of Connecticut, Brown University, and the College of the Holy Cross. Notable survey techniques adopted by the society draw on technology from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, including side-scan sonar, magnetometer surveys developed in projects with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, and remotely operated vehicle methods parallel to those used by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Projects have addressed wrecks dating to periods associated with events like the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the American Civil War, and have intersected with study areas explored by scholars at the Smithsonian Institution and the American Antiquarian Society.
Conservation workflows reflect best practices promulgated by the American Institute for Conservation and are carried out in cooperation with conservation labs at institutions such as the Warren Anatomical Museum and the Boston Athenaeum. Stabilization and desalination protocols for recovered timbers and metals follow standards related to work at the Mary Rose Museum and the Vasa Museum (Stockholm), adapted for regional materials on the New England coast. The society engages with legal frameworks enforced by agencies including the Massachusetts Historical Commission and federal statutes like the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 to ensure site protection, and coordinates monitoring akin to programs run by the Nantucket Historical Association and the Salisbury Beach State Reservation management.
Public programs mirror educational initiatives at the Mystic Seaport Museum and the New England Aquarium, offering lectures, field schools, and dive-training workshops designed in partnership with campus programs at Salem State University and Bridgewater State University. Exhibits and public talks have been presented in venues such as the Falmouth Museums on the Green, Hyannis Historic District, and the Cape Cod Maritime Museum, and the society publishes findings in newsletters and peer-reviewed outlets including the Historical Archaeology journal and proceedings associated with the Society for Historical Archaeology Annual Conference. Youth engagement has drawn on collaborations with the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA for stewardship projects and citizen science initiatives.
The society maintains formal and informal partnerships with academic institutions including the College of William & Mary, Syracuse University, and Dartmouth College, as well as museums like the USS Constitution Museum and The Mariners' Museum and Park. Collaborative research grants have involved federal partners such as the National Endowment for the Arts and regional heritage organizations like the Cape Cod Commission and Barnstable County. International exchange and methodological dialogue have linked the society with counterparts including the Council for British Archaeology, the European Association of Archaeologists, and the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
The society has documented numerous wrecks and maritime sites, contributing data to state inventories curated by the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources and influencing interpretive displays at the New Bedford Whaling Museum and local historical societies such as the Orleans Historical Society and Provincetown History Preservation Project. Its work has informed archaeological responses to storms associated with systems like Hurricane Bob (1991) and Hurricane Sandy (2012), and has provided material culture insight comparable to studies of the Schooner Polly and regional 19th-century freight vessels recorded in archives at the Massachusetts Historical Society. The society’s collaborations and publications have advanced public appreciation for maritime heritage across Cape Cod, contributing to regional cultural tourism managed by entities including the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and heritage networks such as the National Maritime Heritage Program.
Category:Archaeological organizations Category:Cape Cod history