From USS Stars and Stripes to Metropolis (1861-present): Modeling the Life, Loss, and Archaeological Site Formation of a Currituck Beach Shipwreck (Corolla, North Carolina)

Abstract

The steamship Metropolis went aground off Currituck Beach, North Carolina, on 31 January 1878. The disaster led to loss of life and subsequent reformation of the United States Life-Saving Service. In the years since, there has been an ongoing interest in correlating an archaeological site to the historical vessel. This thesis employs behavioral archaeological approaches to reconstruct the vessel in its historic and archaeological contexts using computer aided design (CAD) software named Rhinoceros 3D. Completed historical models were then compared to the historical accounts of the wreck to account for wreck deposition and potentially identifiable debris. In addition, fieldwork was carried out at the proposed site of the disaster to study exposed beach wreckage and create a detailed inventory of potential shipwreck sites, both exposed and buried.