Ground Penetrating Radar Survey at Selected Historical Archaeological Sites on the Lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
In May 2015, Ground Penetrating Radar surveys were carried out to map archaeological features at two historical sites on the Cape Fear River. Fort Caswell, located on the Cape Fear Inlet end of Oak Island, served from the 1830's to the 1940's as a part of the coastal defenses for the port of Wilmington, North Carolina. The Brunswick River Park site, in Belville, was part of the Buchoi Plantation which was owned by Supreme Court justice Alfred Moore. The MALA GroundExplorer controller and 450 MHz antenna were used to map historical features in the 0-3 meter depth range. Exploratory 2 meter grids were laid down to maximize coverage area during two survey days. The survey at Fort Caswell focused on mapping major wall foundations and defensive features. A prominent feature seen in the survey was a capped brick lined cistern. Survey at the Buchoi Plantation site was aimed at locating historical foundations seen in previous surveys, but whose position was lost when mapping landmarks were destroyed. Subsurface features as the site were mapped that may relate to historic buildings or construction from the modern community park. These surveys will contribute to the continuing maintenance and preservation of these actively used historic sites.
