Over the course of three years, beginning in 2002, MAHS conducted research on a wreck in the St. Mary’s River near
Cherryfield Point, Maryland. The wreck, which may be a 19th-century wooden barge or
ram schooner, also provided a perfect environment for training avocational divers who had completed the MAHS
classroom and pool sessions in underwater archaeology.
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Very little is
known about this wreck, therefore the research and field schools presented an opportunity to make a contribution to the
body of knowledge on Chesapeake Bay history. Since each field school was designed to continue the
work begun in the previous years, the students were briefed not only on the immediate goals for their class
but also where that information fit in the overall data collection scheme. Knowing their work was
important added to the students' enthusiasm and prompted a sense of responsibility to gather accurate data.
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