Terrestrial and Marine Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Castle Street Boat Ramp on the Cape Fear River, Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina

摘要

The City of Wilmington, NC plans to build a boat ramp on the Cape Fear River at the foot of Castle St., an area that lies within the city's historic district. Terrestrial investigations consisted of the excavation of three large trenches in the vicinity of the proposed boat wash area and its new drain system on the south side of Castle st. The underwater survey of the 40-by-90 foot section of the Cape Fear River was carried out in transects along the 4-, 9-, and 12-foot bathymetric contours. Although background research showed that the project vicinity had some potential for historic remains dating back to the region's early colonial period, the terrestrial fieldwork produced evidence only of the nineteenth/early twentieth century gasworks, and the underwater survey recovered evidence only of relatively recent wharfs, concrete rubble, and other modern debris. Because of the lack of archaeological remains of significance, we do not recommend further investigations at the site.