COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Prefix/Number: ANT 3137
Course Title: Shipwreck Archaeology
Contact Information:
Instructor: Greg Cook (gcook1@uwf.edu)
Co-Instructor: Rebecca Booker (Rnb7@students.uwf.edu)
Course Credit Hours: 3
Office Hours: By appointment: Bldg. 13, Rm. 109
Prerequisites or Co-Requisites: None
Course Description: The emphasis for this course is American Maritime History and
New World Nautical Archaeology. This course will examine the various types of
watercraft developed and how they were utilized in North America during the last 500
years. Subjects covered include:
Underwater Cultural Heritage
Understanding the Ship
European Discovery of the New World
Spanish Empire
Northern European Colonization
Anglo-French Wars
Revolutionary War
War of 1812
The Conquest of the West: Canals and Steamers
The Golden Age of Sail
The Civil War
The Future of Nautical Archaeology
Class format will center around assigned readings in your textbook, readings located on
the World Wide Web, PowerPoint lectures, and class discussions.
Course Goal: Upon completion of the course, you will be able to list several reasons
why ships and boats associated with America were built. You will be able to compare and
appreciate the qualities that were required for these vessels to meet their purpose. In the
form of examinations and a term paper, you will demonstrate that you have gained
knowledge about the materials and technology available at the time these vessels were
created, developed, or lost.
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About this Course: This course is delivered completely online. You must have
consistent access to the Internet.
Learning at a distance may be a very different environment for many of you. You will
generally set your own schedules, participate in class activities at your convenience, and
work at your own pace. You may spend some additional time online during the first few
weeks while you become acclimated to the online class format and you may feel
overwhelmed. You should also be prepared to spend approximately 5-7 hours per week
online completing lessons, activities, and participating in class discussions. Finally, you
may want to incorporate these tips to help you get started:
1. Set yourself a schedule -- check the course web site early in the class week to see
what tasks you'll need to work on for the week.
2. Become very familiar with the site and how to use it. It is a tool to help you learn
3. Team up with your classmates to discuss class assignments and questions you might
have. Check the Classlist link for biography info and email addresses
4. Ask questions when you need answers. If you have problems, contact your instructor
ASAP! I will help you come up with a solution
Topics Covered (not comprehensive: other topics may be presented as well)
1. History Beneath the Sea: The Birth of Nautical Archaeology
2. Basic Ship Construction
3. The Earliest Watercraft: From Rafts to Viking Ships.
4. The Voyages of Columbus: The Search for His Ships.
5. Shipwrecks of the Explorers.
6. Basque Whalers in the New World: The Red Bay Wrecks.
7. Treasure Ships of the Spanish World.
8. The Thirteen Colonies: English Settlers and Seafarers.
9. Struggle for a Continent: Naval Battles of the French and Indian Wars.
10. Gunboats and Warships of the American Revolution
11. The War of 1812: Battle for the Great Lakes
12. Steamboats on Inland Waterways: Prime Movers of Manifest Destiny
13. The Civil War at Sea: Dawn of an Age of Iron and Engineering
14. The End of the Age of Sail: Merchant Shipping in the Nineteenth Century.
15. The Future of Nautical Archaeology
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Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Summarize the history of nautical archaeology
2. Describe the types of watercraft utilized prior to the European discovery of the New
World
List the various types: simple floats and rafts, as well as a variety of canoes such
as the dugout, bark and planked types, and boats made from reeds and skins.
Contrast the various types noted above by culture and construction material.
Differentiate various types noted above by geographical location.
3. Describe the ships of discovery, commerce, conquest, and colonization
Read that the history of the American continent can be followed through its
watercraft.
Recognize the reasons why ships were built.
State the qualities required for the purposes (discovery, colonization, naval
warfare, commerce, etc.) of various ships.
Restate the materials and technologies that were available at the time of a ship's
creation
4. Recognize the importance of ships
Recall that ships were the most complex and sophisticated machines build by men
for a long time.
Observe the ways in which people improved their watercraft.
Discover the evolution of ships in relation to the political and economical
environments in which they were created and developed
5. Determine the "taxonomies" there are many different ways to look at ships
Recognize that ships can be classed as warships, fishing craft, utility craft, etc.
Recognize that ships can be distinguished by the construction techniques.
6. History, ethnography, archaeology
Recognize that shipwrecks and all other artifacts that archaeologists deal with are
echoes of human past activity.
Discover that archaeologists try to reconstruct and understand past activity by
interpreting artifacts and contexts
7. Management of the cultural heritage
Summarize why nautical archaeologists do not raise, conserve, and display all of
the shipwrecks that are found.
Discover the techniques required to investigate deep-water shipwrecks.
Required Textbook:
Ships and Shipwrecks of the Americas: A History Based on Underwater
Archaeology, George F. Bass, ed., London: Thames and Hudson, 1996.
(Available from Amazon.com for less than $20)
Recommended Textbooks:
The Sea Remembers: Shipwrecks and Archaeology, Peter Throckmorton, ed.,
New York: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1987.
Wooden Ship Building and the Interpretation of Shipwrecks, J. Richard Steffy,
College Station, Texas, Texas A&M University Press, 1994.
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Required Materials:
Internet Access
E-mail Account
Grading / Evaluation: The course grade will be determined as follows:
Three exams:
50 points (each)
Term paper:
50 points
Participation in discussions, use of course materials 100 points
Total points for term:
300 points
GRADING SCALE:
A-F grades. Grading Scale based on a total of 400 points, but weighted on a 100-point
scale:
 93+ = A
 90-92 = A 88-89 = B+
 83-87 = B
 80-82 = B 78-79 = C+
 73-77 = C
 70-72 = C 68-69 = D+
 60-67 = D
 Below 60 F
Since this is a 3000 level college course I will be expecting at least junior level college
writing. I highly encourage you to utilize the writing lab on campus for your term paper.
This is a free resource to students and since your term paper is 1/6 of your grade you do
not want to miss out on these points by making many grammatical errors.
There will be no extra credit assignments. This is why it is essential that you develop a
schedule and respond and submit your assignments on time. E-learning is highly
automated so, if you try to submit an assignment that is due at midnight at 12:01, there is
no longer any way for you to submit your work. Since you work online and on your own
schedule there will be absolutely no late assignments accepted.
Special Technology Utilized by Students: This course is completely conducted online.
All instructional content and interaction takes place over the WWW. In addition to
baseline word processing skills and sending/receiving email with attachments, students
will be expected to search the internet and upload / download files. In addition, students
may need one or more of the following plug-ins for their web browsers:
Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
PowerPoint Viewer: http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D1649C22-B51F4910-93FC-4CF2832D3342&displaylang=en
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Windows Media Player: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/
Quicktime Player: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
Real Player:
http://forms.real.com/netzip/getrde601.html?h=207.188.7.150&f=windows/RealOnePlayerV2GO
LD.exe&p=RealOne+Player&oem=dl&tagtype=ie&type=dl
Macromedia Flash Player:
http://macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=Shockwa
veFlash
Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy:
Academic Conduct Policy: EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC CONDUCT:

As members of the University of West Florida academic community, we commit
ourselves to honesty. As we strive for excellence in performance, integrity—both
personal and institutional—is our most precious asset. Honesty in our academic
work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways which erode that integrity.
Accordingly, we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to plagiarize the
work of others. We pledge to share community resources in ways that are
responsible and that comply with established policies of fairness. Cooperation and
competition are means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed,
cooperation is expected unless our directive is to individual performance. We will
compete constructively and professionally for the purpose of stimulating high
performance and standards. Finally, we accept adherence to this set of
expectations for academic conduct as a condition of membership in the UWF
academic community.

Ignorance is not an excuse. If you have any questions ask me before the
assignment is due. I will run papers through plagiarism software!
PLAGIARISM POLICY:
You must know and understand the University of West Florida's Plagiarism
Policy. Please select the following link and read The University of West Florida
Plagiarism Policy.
ASSISTANCE:
Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other courserelated accommodations should contact Barbara Fitzpatrick, Director of Disabled Student
Services (DSS), dss@uwf.edu, (850) 474-2387. DSS will provide the student with a letter
for the instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.
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