In the summer of 2009, LAMP archaeologists partnered with Pepe Productions to shoot a documentary film on our search for the lost ship Jefferson Davis, the ex-illegal slaver which became the most successful privateer of the entire Civil War. At the Society for Historical Archaeology meetings at Amelia Island, we unveiled the trailer for the upcoming film, scheduled for release next summer. Enjoy the trailer, and if you really like it, double-click on the video to visit YouTube and give it a favorable rating!

The 2010 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology will be held from March 17 through March 20th. As usual, the Symposium will feature speakers from around the country who will give presentations related to underwater archaeology and maritime history research projects in St. Augustine and around the world. This year we are partnering with the St. Augustine Historical Society to bring you "St. Augustine and the Sea II," the sequel to St. Augustine and the Sea symposium in February. After three days of presentations, the Symposium culminates in the 18th annual Lighthouse Maritime Festival.

Continue reading "3/17-20/10 Fourth Annual Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology" »

Retired professor George R. Fischer was presented the Society for Historical Archaeology's Award of Merit "for his many contributions to the development of underwater archaeology and for his exemplary service on the Advisory Council on Underwater Archaeology." He is surrounded by his former students students (L to R): Dr. Della Scott-Ireton, Florida Public Archaeology Network NW Regional Director, Dr. Chris Horrell, Melanie Damour Horrell, David Ball (all with Minerals Management Service, New Orleans), Dr. Russell Skowronek, Assoc. Professor, Univ. of Texas, George Fischer, Richard Johnson, Headmaster of Bishop Hall Charter High School in Thomasville, Nancy Fischer, Dr. Steve Dasovich, Science Engineering, Inc., St. Louis, Dr. Kelley Scudder, Director, Center for Caribbean Archaeology, and Chuck Meide, Director, Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program.

The Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) held its annual conference recently at Amelia Island in Northeast Florida. We were honored to have the SHA Conference visit our veritable back yard. It was a great success, and a great opportunity for LAMP to share with our colleagues all of the great work we have been doing, and the special area that we call home. We were proud to help sponsor and organize this major event, which attracted 1100 of our colleagues from across the world.

Continue reading "The 43rd annual Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology, January 6-9, 2010, at Amelia Island, Florida" »

Field School students and volunteers prepare for diving operations during the 2009 Field School. Join us as we conduct maritime archaeology at the nation's oldest port!

The 2010 Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) Field School will be held May 31 - June 26, 2010 at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. This comprehensive 4-week field practicum will focus on the continued excavation of an unidentified 19th-century ballast pile to make a determination whether it represents the remains of the Confederate privateer Jefferson Davis, lost on the St. Augustine bar in August 1861 after the most successful cruise of the entire war. We will also staging test excavations on a new unidentified shipwreck site discovered during last year's survey efforts.

Continue reading "5/31/10 - 6/26/10 Summer Field School 2010" »

As 2009 draws to a close so does LAMP's most ambitious project to date, the First Coast Maritime Archaeology Project. In 2006 LAMP was awarded a grant worth more than $281,000 by the State Division of Historical Resources and the Florida Historical Commission in order to undertake this 2.5-year comprehensive program of archaeological research and outreach. In the closing days of the project we are finishing analyses and report production after our final of three grant-funded field seasons.

This project brought a sea change to LAMP and our research capabilities.

Continue reading "The First Coast Maritime Archaeology Project" »

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE 2010 SYMPOSIUM, MARCH 17-20

The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum and LAMP have hosted the Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology each March since 2007. The fourth annual Symposium will be held at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum from March 17 to March 20, 2010. This annual event is co-sponsored by the GTM Research Reserve, the Florida Public Archaeology Network, and the St. Augustine Archaeological Association.

For more information on this upcoming event, and also previous Symposiums, please follow the links below.

2010 Northeast Florida Symposium on Maritime Archaeology, March 17-20

2009 Symposium information
2008 Symposium information and blog entry
2007 Symposium information and blog entry

SUMMER 2010 FIELD SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENT AND INFORMATION -- CLICK HERE!

Every summer LAMP oversees an intense 3-4 week accredited field school open to both undergraduate and graduate students, providing an opportunity to participate in a marine survey and the excavation of one or more shipwreck or other maritime archaeological sites. In addition to methodological training and academic lectures, students get valuable real-world experience in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork, scientific diving and seamanship, and laboratory analysis.

More information on our upcoming and previous Field Schools are available through the following links.

Click here for the 2010 LAMP Summer Field School

2009 LAMP Field School

Click here to read all Field School-related blog posts

Welcome to the LAMP Boatworks Hull Inventory. This is an ongoing listing by Hull Number of all small craft constructed by LAMP Boatworks at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum.

Continue reading "LAMP Boatworks Hull Inventory" »

Today boatbuilders prepared the joinery, or scarf, that will attach the Galveztown yawl boat’s assembled stem post to the craft’s keel. This was done by clamping the stem to the keel and drilling pilot holes for the silicon bronze fasteners, in this case nuts and bolts with washers.

Continue reading "Prepping the Galveztown Yawl’s Keel/Stem Scarf" »

We are pleased to announce the LAMP Boatworks Chaisson Dory Tender Drawing! We will be giving away our beautiful little rowing boat, complete with hand-made ash oars, to the lucky winner of this contest. The 10' long wooden boat was built by our volunteers at the Lighthouse and its hull number is LMP0003. All donations received from the drawing will support LAMP Boatworks, our traditional wooden boatbuilding program.

Suggested minimum donation is $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20. The drawing will be held in conjunction with the Lighthouse Maritime Festival on March 20, 2010. LAMP representatives will be traveling with the boat to a variety of events and locations throughout St. Augustine, where tickets will be available, and tickets will always be available at the Lighthouse through the time of the drawing. The official rules to the drawing are listed below.

Continue reading "LAMP Boatworks Chaisson Dory Tender Drawing" »