Field Schools

COSTA RICA FALL FIELD SCHOOL

See our website for more information:

Expedition 2015 https://sites.ecu.edu/hist5530/

Expedition 2016 https://sites.ecu.edu/expeditioncostarica/

Reports:

COSTA-RICA-2017 Download

COSTA-RICA-2018 Download

This fall Professor Harris will lead the Program in Maritime Studies of East Carolina University Field school in the southern Caribbean part of Costa Rica. Students will conduct a variety of underwater archaeological searching, surveying, mapping and recording techniques on shipwreck sites in Cahuita Bay (the “Cannon and Brick Sites”) and the shoreline and reefs of Punta Cahuita. Students will be supervised and attended to by one faculty instructor, a staff archaeologist and a dive safety officer and a visiting guest NC state field archaeologist and conservator. Keep in mind this is a classroom situation and all program protocols will be followed. Teams are responsible for compiling data, working on drawings, photographs and processing field information. After hours work is anticipated and the team will assist with community workshops and public outreach initiatives. Students are also reminded that as representatives of the Program and East Carolina University, they are expected to behave accordingly and respectfully, especially in a foreign country.

This field school has interrelated teaching, research, outreach, and community engagement goals.

We intend to focus our attention on Cahuita Bay, where we have been recording since 2015. We will remap the cannon site to observe changes over the past year and search for new features or sites a. around the point b. between the two sites c. along the shoreline and reef line. Please note there will be a lot of swimming and snorkeling. Please make you are in good physical condition for aquatic activity. We will incorporate some fitness exercises into our field school preparation during the first week of classes to gauge each of your abilities.

This expedition will provide field school participants an opportunity to be involved in a project that is engaged and closely integrated with the local community plus service learning. Field school students will be able to receive NAS credit for their activities, or help coordinate and instruct NAS content. The primary intention of training local people is to provide them with training that may assist in the study and preservation of their underwater cultural heritage.

We will conduct the following tasks

Diver search patterns
Photography, videography, photo mosaics, photogrammetry
Geo-spatial mapping of the wreck debris fields
Artifact drawings
Site plans
Cannon and anchor recording
Analyzing site formation processes
Fishing boat documentation
Perform baseline studies of the marine flora and fauna on the sites
Compile data sets
Digital drafting
Total station mapping
Metal detection
GPS use
Conduct historical research
Write a fieldwork report as a team at the end of the project
Additional products such posters, underwater slate maps, videos, websites, blogs, and SHA/ACUA photo entries will be considered