VISUALIZING PORT HISTORY: AN HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA’S HISTORIC WATERFRONT

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to combine new techniques of archaeological inquiry with established methods of data collection to gain a new understanding of the ways in which ports adapt over time. Ports and harbors have long been integral facets into the economic and social fabric of trade in the United States. However, over the past century, regional ports have been increasingly replaced by larger, centralized, port systems. The historic port of Washington, North Carolina, situated on the Tar-Pamlico River will be used as a case study to determine what economic factors contributed to its eventual decline. This study combines historical data, archaeological data, and three-dimensional reconstructions to analyze possible correlations between commodity production and waterfront commerce.