Hidden Beneath the Waves: Exploring the Underwater Cultural Heritage of NC

In our second Lunchtime Lecture, Mr. Southerly and Mr. Casserley dive into inter-agency partnerships to discover, research, and protect the hallmarks of North Carolina’s maritime cultural heritage: shipwrecks. North Carolina waters have long been known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, with thousands of shipwrecks occurring over hundreds of years. These shipwrecks hold information about changing technologies and cultural and physical landscapes. Protected by the NC Underwater Archaeology Branch and NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, these troves of data continue to offer stories of North Carolina’s deep maritime culture.

Chris Southerly is Assistant State Archaeologist with NC Underwater Archaeology Branch. Tane Casserley is a Maritime Archaeologist and Research Coordinator with NOAA Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.