ECU Program in Maritime Studies

09/06/2026

The New Bern field school has hit halfway, and we've been busy!

In the past two weeks, students have been mostly preoccupied with completing scaled drawings of the remains of the wooden towboat "Eureka" (built by William M. Chauncey in Washington, NC, in 1916, and sinking three times over the period c. 1950- 1960, the last time in New Bern, NC). However, the team has also completed data collection on wood species and density and assisted Ph.D. candidate Sarah Kate Childs (ECU's IDPBBC Ph.D. program) in collecting water, soil, and microbial samples from the site.

The field school has also begun investigating the remains of the Barbour Boat Works shipyard (c.1932-c.1990), completing a photogrammetric model of a hauling machine from its Neuse River yard (now at Lawson's Creek boat ramp), and conducting in-water reconnaissance and recording of debris associated with the main Trent River shipyard.

In the next few weeks, we aim to complete drawings, record features of the wreck with a total station, and move back to exploring features on the riverbed identified during our spring 2026 remote sensing operations -- perhaps having time to inspect other unidentified wrecks in the area.

09/04/2026

Celebrating a Legacy of Maritime Scholarship ⚓️🎓

We are excited to announce the Nancy and Larry Babits Endowed Award in Maritime Studies, established through the extraordinary generosity of Emeritus Professor Lawrence Babits and his wife, Nancy Mayer Babits.

The award will support an outstanding second-year MA student whose thesis prospectus is of excellent quality, and whose research focuses on the historical and/or archaeological investigation of coastal vessels dating from the 1740s through the 1790s. Topics are not limited to the southeastern United States.

The award honors Larry Babits’ remarkable career as a maritime historian, archaeologist, and former director of our program, while creating a lasting opportunity for future scholars to pursue innovative research in maritime history and archaeology.

We are deeply grateful to Larry and Nancy for their generosity and commitment to our students. Their investment in the next generation of maritime scholars will help carry the legacy of maritime research at ECU forward for years to come. ⚓️

09/01/2026

Barrels Beneath the Waterfront 🛢️🪏🌊

Our field school at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson is currently investigating multiple features along the historic waterfront. One team has opened a 1 x 2-meter unit on a heavily eroded colonial wharf in hopes of locating intact structural remains.

The unit was positioned where three casks were previously identified in a north-south line within the wharf feature. Despite challenging tidal conditions, students have exposed the remains of a large wooden cask and discovered another within the excavation unit!

The lower third of each cask remains intact, including the head withies — willow branches used as cask hoops to bind the upright staves during the 18th century. One complete cask head was recovered from within the unit with the initials “ID” carved into one side. Both features were carefully mapped in and reburied as the search for wharf cribbing structure continues.

Follow along as our students continue uncovering and documenting the material remains of Brunswick Town’s historic waterfront!

08/31/2026

Student Summer Spotlight☀️: Training in Cultural Resource Management 🏺📍

This summer, MA student Kel Welton attended the Alabama Historical Commission CRM Professional Training Program at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park.

The five-week program provided hands-on experience across multiple aspects of cultural resource management. Training was divided into four one-week sections covering professional lectures and networking with state-level professionals, Phase I survey, Phase II excavation and artifact processing.

Kel also had the opportunity to participate in a Public Archaeology event, engaging with park visitors and sharing information about the site’s latest archaeological research.

An optional fifth-week workshop gave Kel additional field experience investigating a 19th-century cemetery. Using a combination of GIS and LiDAR, the team worked to identify potential unmarked graves and better understand the historic cemetery landscape.

Opportunities like this give our students valuable experience across the archaeological process while preparing them for careers in cultural resource management and historic preservation.

08/29/2026

Student Summer Spotlight☀️: From Shipwrecks to 3D Models ⚓️🌊

This summer, graduate student Ian Rickert spent six weeks in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, completing an internship with the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS.

At the museum, Ian worked alongside the Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Collections Specialist to clean, rehouse and photograph shipwreck artifacts recovered from Lake Michigan in the 1970s and 1980s. He also created 3D models and printed replicas of several artifacts using the museum’s 3D printer. These replicas will help make artifacts from the collection more accessible to the public. Ian also created 3D-printed models of sanctuary shipwreck sites for public outreach and education.

Ian’s work extended beyond the museum collections. He assisted the sanctuary as a deckhand aboard their research vessel and helped install mooring and data buoys throughout the sanctuary.

To cap off his internship, Ian joined the sanctuary and NOAA Ocean Exploration aboard the R/V LAURENTIAN for a research project focused on deepwater shipwrecks. He spent the day in the field observing the team’s work and gaining firsthand experience with underwater archaeological research.

Experiences like this give our students the opportunity to apply their skills across collections, digital documentation, public outreach and field research. We’re proud to see Ian putting his maritime archaeology training to work!

08/27/2026

During the summer East Carolina University Program in Maritime Studies students played an important hands-on role for two projects through paid internships with the Maritime Research Division of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina.

Addison Costa participated in drone magnetometry operations supporting the search for a Spanish shipwreck believed to have been lost off the South Carolina coast in 1526. Using a drone-mounted magnetometer, Addison helped systematically survey beaches, shoals, and shallow waters for evidence of the wreck and other archaeological sites. Addison also post-processed the magnetometer data and incorporated the results into the project’s GIS database. A planned week of ground-truthing at potential archaeological sites off Port Royal Sound was unfortunately curtailed by adverse weather.

Liam O’Brien and Michael Lee also contributed to ground-truthing operations in Port Royal Sound. They investigated magnetic and acoustic targets through diving and deploying specialized equipment, including a hand-held magnetometer, hydro-probe, and Jet-cam, to help locate and identify possible archaeological features. Both students assisted with boat operations, daily maintenance of the vessel and research equipment, and a myriad of expected and unexpected tasks associated with underwater archaeological investigations. Many thanks for the generous support and learning experiences you provided our students and next generation of maritime archaeologists over the last few years MRD'-SCIAA!

08/25/2026

Fall Field School is Underway! 🪏⚓️

Our two sections of HIST-6850 Field Research in Maritime History have officially begun! The first section, led by Dr Nathan Richards, is looking at the shipwreck “Eureka” and the Barbour Boatworks complex in New Bern, NC. Another group, led by Dr Jason Raupp, is at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson to finish our excavations at the historic site this year.

Look out for updates on both exciting projects in the coming weeks as we dive into local history beneath the coastal waters of North Carolina!

08/22/2026

From MA Thesis to Published Book! 📚⚓️

We’re incredibly proud to celebrate recent graduate Thomas Fosdick (MA Maritime Studies ’25) on the publication of his new book, “A Ship for Every Season: A Reconstruction and Analysis of a 19th Century Steamer,” with SpringerBriefs in Underwater Archaeology!

The book builds on Thomas’ MA thesis research at ECU, which examined the 1861-built double-ended ferryboat Waccamaw and its transformation through construction, adaptation, military service, abandonment and salvage. His research combines archaeological evidence, historical documentation, behavioral archaeology, and 3D reconstruction to explore how economic, social, technological and environmental factors shaped the vessel throughout its life.

Even better, the research brings the story home to North Carolina. The Waccamaw archaeological site lies in the Cape Fear River near Wilmington and provides an opportunity to examine 19th-century riverine transportation, technological change and the reuse of civilian vessels during the Civil War.

Congratulations, Thomas! We’re proud to see the research produced in our program continue to make an impact in maritime archaeology. Check out the book from Springer, available now! ⤵️

🔗 https://link.springer.com/book/9783032316936

08/21/2026

Student Summer Spotlight☀️
Making History on Lake Champlain ⚓️🇺🇸

Program graduate students Ethan Whiten and Christian Gunter, along with alum Addison Costa (2026), were invited to join Nautical Archaeology Program researchers for the Philadelphia Gunboat Project on Lake Champlain this summer.

The project gave our students an incredible opportunity to work hands-on with Revolutionary War maritime history, including the recovery of the final missing fragment of the cannon that exploded aboard the gunboat New York during the Battle of Valcour Island in 1776.

Whiten said that, “experiences like this demonstrate the importance of maritime archaeology and historic preservation while giving students the opportunity to contribute directly to the study and preservation of our nation’s history.”

We’re proud to see our students putting their skills to work in the field and gaining experiences that will shape the next generation of maritime archaeologists.

08/19/2026

You may have noticed this student in our last post for her work conserving the 1907 Trustees Meeting Minutes book! Congratulations Anja!!!

https://news.ecu.edu/2026/08/19/student-anja-schwieterman

Anja Schwieterman turns a lifelong fascination with the ocean into hands-on archaeological experience through ECU’s maritime studies program.