Archaeological Data Recovery Area 1 Fig Island Channel Site Savannah Harbor, Georgia

As part of the Savannah Harbor Navigation Project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District and the Georgia Ports Authority are deepening portions of the Savannah Harbor shipping channel. Because the Fig Island Channel Site (09CH738) on Hutchinson Island is known to have been a graveyard for derelict ships, Tidewater Atlantic Research, Inc., (TAR) of Washington, North Carolina was contracted by Gulf Engineers and Consultants, Inc. for the Corps of Engineers, Savannah District to carry out a series of archaeological investigations designed to mitigate the impact of channel improvements to four previously identified shipwreck sites and locate any additional and unknown shipwreck remains. Field research carried out by TAR in August 1993 confirmed that three of the known sites were vessels while the fourth was identified as a small structure resembling a hunting stand or survey station. Excavation of two of the three vessels revealed that one was largely intact with structural features suggesting a small two massed coastal craft of shallow draft such as a late 18th or early 19th century brig or schooner. The second wreck consisted of about 16 feet of a 19th century ship's bow sheathed in copper. Two additional vessels were explored to determine the extent of their surviving hull and to collect data to support development of a Scope of Work for documentation. Finally, an extensive probe survey in Area 1 identified another target that could represent a potentially significant vessel. While no further investigation of the excavated and documented wrecks is recommended, additional field work will be necessary to identify and document the two tested vessels and the target identified by probing.