Underwater Archaeology Topic of "Historically Speaking" Lecture

 It's been awhile since Dr. James Spirek, the underwater archaeologist at SCIAA has visited us to speak about his work. The Beaufort County Historical Society, the Hilton Head Chapter of the Archaeological Society of South Carolina, and the BDC are delighted that he'll be coming down next month to talk about shipwreck explorations in and around Port Royal Sound. 

Over 30 ships from early European colonization to modern times have met their fate on the treacherous shoals fringing the entrance to Port Royal Sound.  These shipwrecks include a French corsair called Le Prince that wrecked while entering the sound after a successful voyage of trading and raiding in the Spanish West Indies in early 1577; HMS Colibri, a British warship that grounded on the shoals after plundering Sea Island plantations during the War of 1812; and the SS William Lawrence, a merchant steamship bound with an assorted cargo to Savannah that wrecked during a winter gale in 1896.  This illustrated presentation will discuss the ongoing efforts by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology to document these shipwrecks along with other unfortunate casualties of the shoals to advance our knowledge of the maritime archaeological legacy in the waters of South Carolina.

Speaker Biography:

James Spirek, the State Underwater Archaeologist for South Carolina, works at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina, Columbia.  Employed there since 1996 and holding his current position since 2012, Jim’s responsibilities include managing and studying the maritime archaeological legacy residing in the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters of South Carolina.  Jim has participated in numerous projects documenting a diverse range of sunken prehistoric and historic watercraft, Colonial and Native American sites, Civil War warships and blockade runners, and other underwater archaeological remains in state waters.  Jim received his B.A. in History from George Mason University in 1987 and his M.A. in Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology from East Carolina University in 1993.

"Shoals and Shipwrecks" with underwater archaeologist Jim Spirek | Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 11 AM | BDC/Beaufort County Historical Society "Historically Speaking" series 5.5 | Education Building, First Presbyterian Church, 1201 North Street, Beaufort | Doors open for seating at 10:30 AM

Please note: This lecture will also include the annual business meeting of the Beaufort County Historical Society. All are welcome to attend the free event but only official members of the BCHS will be allowed to vote during the business meeting portion. If the business meeting goes as it has done in the past, that part of the proceedings should take only 10 - 15 minutes. 

We hope that you'll be able to join us for this free lecture.