[Archived] Texas A&M University Launches New Ship Conservation Website

The Conservation Research Laboratory (CRL) at Texas A&M University, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria and Alexandria Archaeology, is pleased to announce the launch of the Alexandria Ship Project website: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/CRL/Alexandria/.  Visitors to this webpage can follow Alexandria’s 18^th-century ship’s journey through the conservation process.  

The website tracks the ship’s progress from its discovery during waterfront development in January 2016 through its documentation and conservation at the CRL. The documentation page provides a first glimpse of three-dimensional scans of the timbers that can be manipulated by the user for a full 360-degree view. These 3D scans will be used for research, documentation, and to produce a scale model of the ship.     

This unique archaeological find tells a story of Alexandria’s early days as an important maritime center and is being carefully documented and preserved at the CRL before it returns home for display. Operating under TAMU’s Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, the Conservation Research Laboratory is one of the oldest continuously operated conservation laboratories that deals primarily with archaeological material from shipwrecks and other underwater sites.   

For even more about our 18^th-century ship, join us on October 22 at 7 p.m. at the Lyceum for Dr. Phillip Reid’s lecture on British Atlantic merchant vessels.  He will help contextualize the discovery, explaining why it is so significant and critical to our understanding of maritime history and technology. Celebrate Virginia Archaeology Month with us and explore the challenges and rewards involved in learning more about these vessels. 

Alexandria Archaeology is hosting a number of events for all ages as part of Virginia Archaeology Month. More information on Dr. Reid’s lecture and other opportunities can be found at www.alexandriava.gov/archaeology.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended.  To request a reasonable accommodation or an alternative format, e-mail Archaeology@alexandriava.gov, or call 703.746.4399.