Shipwreck Detectives Summer Day Camp

Date: July 16, 2007
Entry by: Heather Hohman, Summer Fellowship Program, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Education and Outreach staff from Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary put together a 3-day summer day camp program for Alpena Community College's Educational Talent Search Program aimed at first generation college-bound students. This is the second year the Sanctuary organized an underwater archaeology focused program. During the morning sessions on July 10th and 11th staff of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) introduced shipwreck exploration and research at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center (GLMHC). To cap off the event, the final day, the group spent the day in the field completing hands-on activities mapping, recording, and exploring shipwrecks of Lake Huron. Throughout the 3-Day Camp, the participants learned from underwater archaeologists and about archaeological research methods used at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

First Day of Camp, July 10

The participants were welcomed by Education and Outreach Coordinator, Cathy Green, who introduced the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary with a brief PowerPoint presentation and NOAA-produced video clips. The short videos introduced the Sanctuary program and our lovable Sea Lion mascot, Sanctuary Sam. After Cathy's presentation, the participants watched the movie, "Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes", produced by the Science Channel. This short movie describes methods archaeologists use in the Great Lakes to determine the identity of shipwrecks. When the movie was over, the students left for Alpena Community College for lunch and afternoon an activity -a "Healthy Choices Workshop".

Day 2, July 11

The next day, the participants continued to learn about shipwrecks, and how to identify and record them. When the Shipwreck Detective Summer Camp students arrived Cathy began with a lesson on ship terms and parts. Later, this helped them with a shipwreck mapping exercise and "field work". This exercise is used to teach methods archaeologists use to measure shipwrecks and how site plans are created from the information. An accompanying exercise demonstrated how archaeologists also use historical and archival information to identify shipwrecks.
The camp was split into to two groups. Half of the students were given a worksheet representing ten shipwrecks featured throughout the heritage center. The students were asked to read exhibit text, study pictures and models, view artifacts, and gather historical information about each shipwreck. This information would later help them to determine which shipwreck the canvass model represents.

The second group worked with Ashley Demming and Heather Hohman for a measuring activity. The students were divided into groups of two and each given a 4ft X 4ft square on a canvass outline of a shipwreck. They were also given a worksheet with a grid to sketch what they saw and a"notes" column to include measurements and obvious features. Both groups completed each activity, then all of the participants were brought into and completed their scale drawings for the final site plan.

To complete the exercise, using the site plans and the information from the historical research worksheets, the participants were asked a series of questions to determine which shipwreck the outline is modeled after. They answered questions concerning the material the ship was made from (wood), visible features (masts, bow stem, anchor chain, cargo hold, deck beams), what features were missing (deck planking), and asked for other observations (no holes, relatively intact).

Using the historical information the camp participants were able to narrow the shipwrecks to one correct answer- the shipwreck is the E. B. Allen. The students learned that to determine the identity of a shipwreck, archaeological and historical information play equal roles.
To finish out the morning, camp participants watched the documentary Tragedies in the Midst followed by a presentation by archaeologist Russ Green about dive gear and underwater archaeology methods, focusing on technical specializations such as photo-mosaics and deep technical dive equipment. The Day Camp then returned to Alpena Community College for lunch and another "Healthy Choices Workshop".

Day 3, July 12

After two days of learning about ship parts, archaeology methods, and the history of Great Lakes' vessels, the Camp participants were ready for some hands-on experience. Cathy Green, Ashley Demming, Lindsey Thomas, Sarah Newman, and Heather Hohman, from the GLMHC met the participants at the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse in Rogers City. The group was divided in two. Half of the students took a tour of the lighthouse, keeper's quarters, and property, while the other half participated in the archaeological recording exercise.

The students recorded remains of the Joseph S. Fay, a freighter lost on October 19, 1905 in a massive storm. A large section of the hull remains on the beach, while the remaining sections are located in 15 ft of water, just offshore. A baseline was set along the beached remains and the group worked in pairs to record a ten foot section. Each pair was given graph paper to draw their section as best they could to scale, and write notes in the margin about specific features. The students used ship terminology learned throughout the week to label the ceiling planking, fasteners, and frames on their drawings. Overall, the summer camp participants did a wonderful job and understood how and why archaeologists take careful and precise measurements.

After a Subway provided lunch, the Summer Camp traveled to Presque Isle to snorkel on a shipwreck at Besser Bell Park. The groups were again divided. Half the group learned about wildlife conservation with staff from the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service with a scavenger hunt throughout the park.

The second group went down to the beach with sanctuary staff and joined Joe Sobczack from Thunder Bay Scuba, who supplied snorkel gear for the students. The mysterious shipwreck off of Besser Bell is thought to be the remains of the Czar, a two-masted wooden schooner which wrecked September 16, 1975 possibly carrying a cargo of iron ore between Middle Island and Presque Isle. The remains lay mostly disarticulated in 5-15 feet of water a mere 100 yards off the beach. The students easily pointed out features they had learned throughout the week including the keelson, stem post, hawse pipe, starboard side, portions of the port side, and a maststep.

Although no documentation took place during the dive at Besser Bell, the students learned about the conditions and tasks that underwater archaeologists in the Great Lakes encounter, such as cold water, currents, and identifying features. We hope that the students this week got a good introduction into underwater archaeology and the use of historical and archaeological information to determine a shipwreck's identity. Our ultimate goal is that the students left the camp with a better understanding of the the submerged cultural resources in Thunder Bay and the importance of their preservation-and hopefully we inspired a few of the next generation of Shipwreck Detectives.

	Participants in the Shipwreck Detective Summer Day Camp take measurements along a baseline on remains of the Joseph S. Fay in Rogers City. Actual archaeology methods were used to enhance the students view of preserving maritime history on the Great Lakes.
	A group of camp-goers prepare to snorkel on a shipwreck off of Presque Isle near Besser Bell. The Shipwreck Detective Summer Camp experience included shipwrecks galore- in the museum, on the beach, and in the water.