St. Mary's River Underwater Archaeology

I am trying to raise funds to perform fieldwork for my doctoral dissertation studying early British merchant trade with the Chesapeake colonies. The fieldwork that I would like to perform is an underwater archaeological survey of possible ship remains near St. Mary's City, Maryland. St. Mary's City was the first settlement of Maryland, founded in 1634, and the fourth successful British colony in the New World. Previous research has suggested that the site, known at present as only a 'ship-shaped' distribution of ballast stones, is the remains of a seventeenth-century vessel. If this is the case, it will be the oldest identified European ship remains in the region and will prove invaluable to understanding the role of British mercantilism in this important era of expansion of the Atlantic World.

I am a doctoral student at the University of Southampton, UK where I am a member of the Maritime Archaeological Research Group. I am originally from Maryland, and have kept my research focus there. I have a long working history with Historic St. Mary's City, a living history museum and archaeological preserve that has pioneered many of the techniques now considered standard in American Historical Archaeology.

You can read more about my research and project here: http://www.smrarchaeology.wordpress.com

Please help me attain my research goals by donating to this fund. Any amount will be very much appreciated, and you can enjoy knowing that you have contributed to a meaningful and important study that will help the way that the museum teaches the public, and countless fourth-grade students from across Maryland, about this exciting facet of early-American history. Money will be used for field expenses such as scuba tank rentals, air fills, boat fuel, miscellaneous equipment, and cost of artifact conservation.

Thank you,

Scott A. Tucker, MA

PhD Student

Centre for Maritime Archaeology

University of Southampton