Balancing Acts : Public Access And Archaeology In The Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District

Abstract

During the American Civil War, Wilmington, North Carolina, served as an important blockade running center for the Confederacy. The Cape Fear region's high traffic and dangerous shoals resulted in the largest concentration of Civil War shipwrecks in the world. The interpretation of these wrecks for public outreach constitutes a valuable opportunity to educate members of the public using a material culture assemblage connected with the historical framework of the Wilmington blockade. This thesis explores ways to develop public stewardship programming, specifically targeting SCUBA divers, for six shipwrecks located in the New Inlet unit of the Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck District. The goal of this thesis is to examine the process and procedures used to balance archaeological preservation and research with public access and educational interpretation, to offer direction for the future management of the New Inlet wrecks.