Article 18

(June 7, 2004 - Cherbourg, France)   It has been far too long since our last update. For this we apologize. This was in part due to the planned hiatus in underwater operations until time and resources are issues are resolved. The following is a summary update and is extracted from a preliminary report prepared by Dr. Gordon P. Watts, Jr., Ph.D., Principal Investigator on Project C.S.S. ALABAMA Challenge.

  During June and July 2002, the American C.S.S. Alabama Association and the French Association C.S.S Alabama carried out an archaeological investigation of the remains of the Confederate commerce raider C.S.S Alabama. Under the direction of Dr. Watts American and French archaeologists, French volunteer divers and French Navy personnel cooperated in an examination of the wreck between 29 May and 27 July 2002. An underwater archaeological investigation of the wreck site between 30 May and 21 June 2002. Objectives for the investigation included video and 35mm photographic documentation of both the wreck and underwater research activities. Continued test excavation in a previously tested area aft in the officers' quarters and limited excavation within the hull forward in the crews' quarters were the focus of archaeological investigation. In addition to small "at risk" artifacts, a number of large items including the aft pivot gun, the aft fire suppression pump and the galley stove were identified for possible recovery. At the conclusion of the diving operations, the focus of on-site activity shifted to video and 35mm documentation of the wreck site to generate data for the production of a site mosaic and computer model of the surviving wreck structure. Between 5 and 21 July, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) was employed to conduct that documentation. For the C.S.S Alabama project the ROV was equipped with an acoustic positioning system, a high-resolution digital still camera and an underwater video system.

  Because funding for the 2002 investigation was not released in time to make sufficient preparations or to obtain and test equipment, a number of the research objectives were compromised. Excavation was frustrated by equipment problems. Artifact recovery, although highlighted by the C.S.S Alabama's bell, was limited to salvaging a random collection of material. Diver and ROV documentation of the exposed vessel remains generated more than 2,000 images. Due to the lack of acoustic positioning for both divers and the ROV and problems with an untested digital camera system, much of the photographic data is of limited value in constructing a comprehensive scaled mosaic. Proposed high-resolution multi-beam imaging of the wreck was not carried out due to weather and other research priorities. Without question, the most important lesson to be learned from the 2002 investigation of C.S.S Alabama is the liability inherent in attempting to plan, organize, equip and carry out a complex international underwater archaeological investigation without sufficient time and resources.

  Project results obtained to date include the recovery of more than 300 artifacts including cannons, ship's bell, ship's, structural samples, tableware, ornate commodes, and numerous other items that reveal much about life aboard the Confederate warship. During the life of the project two televised documentaries , thousands of images, and reports have been made available to the public. We feel that the project has yielded an enormous amount of information and a goodly number of artifacts, especially in the context of the dollars expended.