Today, we set, what might be, the perfect baseline on a maritime archaeology site. We will be systematically mapping the Brick site using the baseline offset methodology. Hopefully, over the next few days we can draw a really accurate site map by taking measurements to artifacts from this baseline. – Scott
Today on our second site (The Brick Site), we were able to successfully lay our baseline! We originally snorkeled around the site to find the locations on which we would tie our polypropylene line. Then Jeremy, Devin, and I were able to go down on SCUBA and secure the line to a head of coral … Read more
Today’s diving consisted of low visibility, persistence, and good communication. Visibility varied between <1 foot to 1 ½ feet depending on of the amount of diver activity in an area and the surge. Two teams attempted and completed trilateration measurements between datum points on the cascable and muzzle of each cannon in piles found so … Read more
After a morning of diving, Dr. Richards, Hannah, Devin, Elise, Lauren, and I set out for an afternoon in Puerto Viejo, a town near Cahuita and home to one of our sites, El Lanchon. El Lanchon is the remnants of a 19th century oil barge used for transporting heavy machinery that was abandoned by Loffland … Read more
Since our arrival in Cahuita, we have been trying to learn as much as we can about the local fishing tradition. We asked the fishers about their boats – how they were built, why they chose their style and color scheme, etc. We recorded, and continue to record, some of the local boats. And we … Read more
This afternoon the group split up to tackle photogrammetry of El Lanchon in Puerto Viejo and small boat recording in Cahuita. I got to stay in Cahuita and record one of the small boats owned by Don Manuel, one of our captains that is taking us out to the sites in the mornings. I have … Read more
After a full day of being stuffed into vehicles with little, or no, leg room (oh, the hard life of a tall man), beginning our first day of work in the water felt like a blessing. After a breakfast of eggs, beans, rice, and fresh fruit (the fruit tastes way better here than stateside), we … Read more
During this morning’s dive, the group was tasked with using proforma to mark, measure, and sketch the cannon we found the previous day. This task was made increasingly difficult because of the large surge underwater and low visibility. Each cannon was measured along the shaft, muzzle, and cascabel. In total, eight cannons have been found … Read more
Here is a tour of Cahuita, the town where we are staying. This small town focuses on eco-tourism and boasts National Park Tours, trips to Panama, and snorkeling adventures at every corner. The atmosphere is quite laid back and simple. The restaurants are excellent, fairly inexpensive, and they make the food fresh (but this means … Read more
Perhaps the most striking difference between Puerto Viejo and Cahuita is the size. Puerto Viejo is a bustling town with numerous hostels and restaurants, populated with many foreigners. The crew chiefs and professors visited Puerto Viejo to familiarize themselves with El Lanchon and the fishermen’s boats, all of which will be photographed and recorded over … Read more