Author: North Carolina Office of State Archaeology
A town hall meeting in Swansboro, originally set for Aug. 31 by the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, has been rescheduled for Sept. 14. The meeting will be held Thursday, Sept. 14, from 6-8 p.m. at the Swansboro Area Heritage Center, 502 W. Church St., Swansboro, NC.
This town hall is in association with an OSA project supported by an Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) grant, money appropriated by Congress in response to Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018 and administered by the National Park Service. The project aims to identify, document, and assess archaeological resources along the shoreline between 60 meters (ca. 200 feet) inland and 60 meters (ca. 200 feet) outward from the mean tidal zone, in hurricane-impacted state-owned and managed lands across North Carolina's coastal counties. Using a combination of terrestrial and underwater archaeological survey methods, this project will provide a baseline for understanding different climate change and storm effects on day and waterlogged sites, as well as broaden our understanding of coastal communities' experiences and ways of life. Researchers are hoping to identify at-risk sites associated with North Carolina's maritime industries and African American communities.
One of the project areas is Hammocks Beach State Park in Onslow County. Previous surveys have identified a collection of archaeological resources ranging from prehistoric shell middens to historic industrial sites. Additional research indicates that there are other unidentified resources in the park. As such, OSA is conducting the above survey in the area to assess damage to the previously identified resources, identify previously unknown resources, and document the erosion along the shorelines.
The town hall on Sept. 14 is a two-part evening that will provide an overview of the project goals, objectives, and methodologies of the project. The event will start at 6 p.m. with an hour-long open house, in which the public can view maps of the project areas, view a slideshow of the types of sites that are likely to be in the park, and chat with project researchers about the project. The second portion of the evening will be a presentation by AECOM, a resource management firm. This presentation will formally present the project goals, objectives, and methods for the project. Throughout the evening, the public is encouraged to share any local knowledge they may have about archaeological resources in the area of Hammocks Beach State Park.
From a press release by the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources