Boston Harbour Drained: A Case Study Using Hydrographic Systems ToAssess Potential Cultural Resource Sites

Abstract

A recent navigation project in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts illustrated the use of different hydrographic techniques in assessing cultural resources. The NOAA Ship WHITING, a hydrographic research vessel for the U.S. Department of Commerce's, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, surveyed the entire harbor and its approaches. The main goal of the project was to update the nautical charts for safe navigation. However, the hydrographic team also addressed areas of cultural significance, with particular attention paid to the inner harbor waterfront, the harbor's islands, and shipwrecks located in the waterways. Several remote sensing techniques were used; tools and expertise that are currently being under utilized by the submerged cultural resource community. This paper does not highlight the history of Boston Harbor, but rather use it as a backdrop for how best to survey an historical harbor given the appropriate tools and proper planning. It also stresses the need for archaeological expertise in hydrographic surveying.