Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Underwater Archaeological Research Program

LCMM Underwater Archaeological Research Program

Have you ever wondered how the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) can document the historic shipwrecks that lie at the bottom of Lake Champlain? Here is a video that gives you a peek at the underwater archaeological research that LCMM conducts throughout the season.

In 2015, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum has partnered with Texas A & M University’s Nautical Archaeology Program to host a rigorous four-week program exclusively for students attending Texas A & M. The program features a mix of both academic instruction and hands-on underwater archaeological research.

The program studies and documents the remains of four steamships at the bottom of Lake Champlain’s Shelburne Bay. It involves combining thousands of images and pieces of data from the wrecks to create a single image. This helps us to have a clearer picture of exactly what these vessels were like before they were retired to their watery resting places.

 

 LCMM Insider: Field School 2015

 

 

Components of the Underwater Archaeological Research Program

Diving sessions teach practical underwater skills using both traditional documentation techniques and cutting-edge technology, while the classroom sessions provide students with an opportunity to train in geographic information systems (GIS) – these are systems designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present different types of spatial or geographical data. They will also learn about local history and artifact conservation methods.

Learn more about the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum at lcmm.org

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