An Archival Study of Shipwrecks in the Vicinity of Savannah and Brunswick Harbors, Georgia; A Magnetometer Survey of Selected Reaches of Savannah and Brunswick Harbors, Georgia

The following report is the result of a two-phase study of selected reaches of Savannah and Brunswick (Georgia) Harbors. The report is an integration of data from a comprehensive primary source literature search and magnetometer survey. The aims were to supply the Savannah District, Corps of Engineers, with a planning document relating known data to shipwrecks in the project areas and to provide a scientific reference for future studies. The report identifies all known shipwrecks within the project area as the vessel name, type, location and present status. The study defines, within the ·project area, specific areas of increased wreck density. This latter tabulation was done to identify areas with a higher probability for the occurrence of sunken vessels. This information allows planners greater latitude in designing measures for these areas.

Sixty-four (64) vesse 1 s were lost vvithi n the Savannah · project area and forty (40) are known for the Brunswick vicinity. Seven (7) were listed as they are peripherally important to the project areas. The bulk of the Savannah losses were in four (4) primary areas:

(1) Hutchinson Island (South Shore)

(2) Kings Island (South Shore)

(3) Juncture of Front and Back Rivers

(4) Fig Island turning basin. 

The areas of highest wreck density in Brunswick are:

( 1 ) East River Channel (East Shore)

( 2) Di sposa 1 Area K

(3) Brunswick River Channe 1 .

Anomalies 3, 4, 5, '6 and 7, identified by the magnetometer survey, in Savannah, are recommended for visual inspection by qualified professional personnel. No further work is recommended for the Brunswick project areas but any major construction adjacent to Jekyl and St. Simons Islands will assuredly need intensive archeological survey. 

This report is not to be considered a complete compilation of all wrecks for either project area. Salient documents, found only in foreign archives, could not be studied in the current work and must be examined before any such compilation can be considered a complete scholarly document.