COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Prefix/Number: ANT 3137
Course Title: Shipwreck Archaeology
Course Credit Hours: 3
Instructor Name and Contact Information: "Wayne Abrahamson “
waa2@students.uwf.edu
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.
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 6 - 8 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:

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.

Become very familiar with the site and how to use it. It is a tool to help you
learn

Team up with your classmates to discuss class assignments and questions
you might have. Check the Classlist link ? for biography info and email
addresses

Ask questions when you need answers. If you have problems, contact your
instructor ASAP! I will help you come up with a solution
Topics:
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
Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Summarize the history of nautical archaeology (Topic 1)
2. Describe the types of watercraft utilized prior to the European discovery of the
New World (Topic 2)

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
(Topics 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7).

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 (all topics).

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 (all
topics)

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 (All topics)

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 (Topic 14)

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.
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
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:

Adobe Acrobat Reader: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

PowerPoint Viewer: http://microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=D1649C22B51F-4910-93FC-4CF2832D3342&displaylang=en

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/RealOnePlayer
V2GOLD.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: (Web Format) | (PDF Format) | (RTF Format)
Plagiarism Policy: (Word Format) | (PDF Format) | (RTF Format)
Student Handbook: (PDF Format)
ASSISTANCE:
Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other
course-related 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.