The MUA is proud to announce the launch of a new fully developed exhibit entitled: Raising the Fleet: an Art / Science Initiative. This innovate project conducted in Lake George, New York brings together underwater archaeology, cell biology, and art in a multidisciplinary study.

Viewers might ask how these three fields can intersect, but artist Elinor Mossop fails to see how they cannot. The sunken remains of British bateaux and the single celled creatures that inhabit the lake bed are all part of the same environment.

The artwork created as a result of this endeavor is on display in three venues; at the Lake George Arts Project Gallery (opening today 8/25/09), on easels resting on the lake bed near sunken British bateaux, and online at the MUA.

We’re proud to take part in such an unusual and creative effort. The web exhibit includes information on the historical background of the colonial sites involved, the methodology used to collect the data and create the artwork, a video about the project, and of course the artwork itself. We hope you enjoy the new exhibit which can be seen here:

http://www.themua.org/raisingthefleet/

(From the editor: Our friends at NAS sent us this note…)

Why not keep up to date with what’s happening on the Sound of Mull
Archaeological Fieldschool at http://www.mullproject2009.blogspot.com/

Big thanks to Historic Scotland for their grant support and to Lochaline Dive Centre and Colin and Paula Martin for making this happen.

Mark Beattie-Edwards,
Programme Director,
Nautical Archaeology Society,

Our friends at LAMP down in St. Augustine have posted a great blog on their current field school. You can view it here:

http://www.staugustinelighthouse.com/blog/lamposts/field_school_students_take_the.php

Dave Howe  of IMH provided us with a link to an interesting article on plans for a survey of what may be HMS Wolfe.

From The Province:

“A team of divers is set to plunge into Lake Ontario near Kingston, Ont., next week in a bid to confirm the discovery of a legendary Canadian-built ship from the War of 1812, the HMS Wolfe.”

You can view the full article here:

http://www.theprovince.com/Life/Divers+hope+identify+1812+warship+Lake+Ontario/1683034/story.html

This is a little off topic but very cool.

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=214169335485&h=a-akt&u=nuMcG&ref=mf

This just in from the AP. Thanks to Dave Howe and Stephanie Meredith for passing this on to us.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090604/ap_on_re_us/us_shipwreck_treasure

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Community and Cultural Affairs Historic Preservation Office has just released a video on the recent World War II Invasion Beaches Survey.  It gives a great overview of the project, it’s personnel, and the technology used to locate numerous targets in the waters off Saipan.  The surey located landing craft, planes, tanks, and naval vessels.  In fact over 1500 targets were recorded.  This project was featured in an MUA project journal last year.

You can view the video here:  http://marianaspacific.com/IBS/IBS.html

The project journal can be viewed here:

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/his/mua/project_journals/saipan/saipan_intro.shtml

This just in from NOAA…

“The National Marine Sanctuaries Media Library is an online vault where a comprehensive collection of select video clips and high-resolution still images from America’s underwater treasures are securely stored and available for searchable access and download.”

https://marinelife.noaa.gov/media_lib/index.aspx

Since our first post on the plight of the historic vessel Free China the junk has been given a brief reprieve and for that we can all be thankful but the vessel is still in danger. Hopefully the attention that is now focused on the junk will result in finding a permanent home and funds to restore it.

Dione Chen has provided the MUA with an update. You can read the latest on this rare example of Chinese shipbuilding here:

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/his/mua/in_the_field/junk_update.html

The Chinese Junk Free China (Photo courtesy of The Oakland Tribune).

In 1955 five Chinese fishermen and one American diplomat beat the odds and made a transpacific voyage in a Chinese junk from Taiwan to San Francisco. Dione Chen, daughter of one of the crew members, is now on a mission to save this historic vessel.  As one of the last surviving Chinese Junks, Free China is an important piece of maritime material culture but unfortunately it is now in imminent danger of being destroyed.  The group Chinese Junk Preservation has posted an article describing its history and the present situation.  Chen’s post includes historic photos including an interactive zoom view image of the vessel at sea.

We’re reaching out to you our colleagues to share this story and to ask for your advice on how we can save this important vessel.  You can view the post here:

http://www.uri.edu/artsci/his/mua/in_the_field/junk.html