Tidewater Time Capsule: History Beneath the Patuxent

by Donald G. Shomette

Years ago, few people understood the value of the submerged cultural resources beneath the waters of the Chesapeake region. Recently, the search for the region's underwater heritage has been validated and initiated an intensified attempt to study and preserve the priceless resources in the waters of the bay and its tributaries. Tidewater Time Capsule presents a fascinating account of one underwater archaeological endeavor in which Donald G. Shomette was intimately involved: the underwater survey of the Patuxent River, and, in particular, the search for Commodore Joshua Barney's Chesapeake Flotilla, which was lost beneath the river's waters following a battle with the British during the War of 1812. The author skillfully sets the historical scene, and then proceeds to a first-person, on-the-site narrative of the investigative events as they happened. The Patuxent Project was the first underwater archaeological survey of an entire river system. In this multiphase investigation, archaeologists sought such diverse resources as inundated aboriginal and historic sites, harbor facilities, military establishments, battle sites, shipwrecks, and, in particular, the final resting place of Joshua Barney's famed Chesapeake Flotilla from the War of 1812.

384 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1995

About the author

Donald G. Shomette is a marine archaeologist and cultural resource manager.