Archaeologists To Converge On Bayport

Archaeologists will be at Bayport Park on Saturday to give the public a chance to learn more about an effort to find sunken wrecks from the Civil War era.

"Bayport Underwater" will run from 1 to 4 p.m. at the park, 4140 Cortez Blvd. The event marks the start of the project to record and preserve the submerged wrecks reported to lie in the shallow waters there.

Bayport was the site of two brief engagements between Confederate land troops and Union blockade vessels. Several of those vessels were reportedly burned and sunk by the Confederacy to keep them out of Union hands.

Nichole Tumbleson, a maritime archaeologist and outreach coordinator for the Florida Public Archaeology Network, will give an overview of the project and discuss Bayport's Civil War history at 1 p.m.

Demonstrations of shipwreck mapping techniques are slated for 1:30 and 2:30. At 2 and 3 p.m., Billy Morris, a maritime archeologist and director of Southeastern Archaeological Services, will demonstrate how submerged archeological sites are relocated.

Between demonstrations there will be interactive programs for children and adults such as shipwreck mapping techniques, build-a-boat exercises and archeological recording.

FPAN is a statewide program administered by the University of West Florida in cooperation with the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources. FPAN's Central Regional Center in Crystal River is hosted by the University of South Florida.