Less than a mile from the New Jersey mainland lies a stretch of sand that's integral to the protection of two communities and the only highway that runs along the Barnegat Peninsula. The land will soon be home to a 3.5-mile dune system rising 22 feet above sea level, all courtesy of coastal steel sheet pile that's being driven 40 feet into the ground.
Installation of these steel piles practically ground to a halt on October 27, 2014 when crews struck something along a 200-foot section of the project that shattered the teeth of their vibratory hammer. After installing a new head and pushing their hammer to the limit, the second head broke. They couldn't get past 15 feet.
The crews brought in an excavator and began digging into the dune to remove the waterlogged debris that had stymied their work. It wasn't until one of the crews recognized what could have been part of an antiquated anchor winch that they realized the debris was more than just a bulkhead – it was the remains of an old shipwreck.
A Game of Identification
The find sparked an immediate multi-agency consultation and investigation. Dewberry archaeologists Christopher P. Morris and Lauren Cook led the response, which included identifying the material, assessing the damage, performing research, and providing survey oversight.
In an incredible feat of early marine engineering, the collection of disarticulated timbers and planks, which bested two 21st century steel vibratory hammer heads, was built and fastened almost entirely out of wood. The material lacked the wormholes that pepper many old wooden ships found below the surface, and (aside from mysterious burn marks across the hull) it was unusually well-preserved.
The relatively good shape of the timbers quickly prompted a number of interested parties to make identification attempts. Some local historians have claimed it's the lost Scottish vessel Ayrshire (c. 1850), a legendary craft that ran into foul weather and was never seen again. Others believe it could be the R. G. Magill (c. 1872), a 75-foot-long schooner built in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Divers familiar with the area have even speculated that the remains could belong to the Cadet (c. 1842) or the Patricia Henry (c. 1843).
In truth, it could be one of nearly a dozen different shipwrecks buried beneath the Barnegat Peninsula's sand. Part of our ongoing mission, on behalf of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, is to coordinate and track this input in an effort to find the ship's true identity. We'll know much more in 12 months when our report is due to the State Historic Preservation Office and Federal Highway Administration.
Shoring Up Our Resiliency, Protecting Our History
In the years following Superstorm Sandy, New Jersey has experienced an unprecedented amount of resilience work. Having performed extensive debris management throughout the state, we're confident that it's home to an untold number of archaeological wonders.
As we shore up the defenses of our development and infrastructure, this incredible find reaffirms the need to seek every opportunity to honor the memory of those that came before us by preserving what little of their history we find left behind.