The Underwater Archaeology Branch has deeper roots than the official Office of State Archaeology. It was established in 1962 in conjunction with the salvage and care of the Civil War blockade runner, Modern Greece, with offices and a small conservation lab established in some old WWII buildings at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, NC. The UAB became an office of the OSA when it was formed in 1973.

Still located in those WWII buildings at Fort Fisher, UAB staff are responsible for identifying, monitoring, and preserving underwater archaeological resources, including within rivers, coastal regions, and state waters. We also perform environmental review for coastal counties, conduct some fieldwork, including previous excavations of Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, archaeological conservation of other wreck materials, and administer education programs, including the development of dive heritage sites!

To learn more, visit https://archaeology.ncdcr.gov/underwater-archaeology-branch or email uab@ncdcr.gov!