Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Marine One of the newest faculty mem bers claims sk in-diving gear and an airplane as part of his regular aca demic equipment. He is Alan B. Albright, the Uni versity's nationally-known aca demic archeologist, most recently with the College of the Virgin l lands and formerly museum spe cialist with the Smithsonian Insti tution's Division of Historical Ar cheology. Albright, who is on the staff oi USC's Institute of Archeology and Anthropoly, says of underwater ar cheology: "'It is an extension of thE study of archeology undersea, There are many sea disasters, anc the knowledge we gain from thesc is often more complete than tha1 from land sites because a shipwrecl can be considered as a small cit which has sunk instantly beneatt the sea-a kind of time capsule."' He will be responsible for in ventorying the approximately 20C shipwrecks off South Carolina'N coast and in coastal rivers, docu ment ing and authenticating arti facts, and administering the Sout Carolina Salvage Law. Working for ten years as a mL seum specialist with the Smitl sonian, he became involved ii underwater archeology whil associated with Mendel L. Petei son, a pioneer in marine archeo ogy. While there, Albright develor ed a process for preservation c waterlogged wood, now used b the Smithsonian and other mL seums; and he set up and directe the Marine Archeology Preservi tion Laboratory at the Smitt sonian and the College of the Vi gin Islands. Easy To Open Gamecock Charge Account &100. - Limat ) BRITTON BREAKFAST/ LUN( 629 Main Street. Righ Honeycombs. Buy you~ MEAL TICKET and save!!!!!!!! Archeolog He has made movies for NBC and CBS Television and the Explor ers Club (of which he is a member), Working with Pulitzer-prize win ning photographer Peter Stack pole. Albright is an officer in the International Conference of Un derwater Archeology. Albright first became interested in archeology as a boy growing up in Panama, where his father worked. He often helped his father, an amateur archeologist, excavate old forts in the jungle. Later he learned skin-diving, and subsequently combined the three interests. He says of underwater arche ology, "I t's another way of seek ing knowledge-it just happens to be wet. We are out to learn more of the history of this area. No one has scientifically looked under the sea -that's why I'm here." Shripwrecks which Albright ex plores ordinarily are approxi mately 35 to 40 feet deep. His average work day includes three or four dives with an aqualung and - regulator. The deepest wreck he has ever worked on was 80 feet. e Immediately before coming to the University, he had just finished - excavating an 18th century British warship wrecked in the Virgin Is f lands, which yielded up such trea BLOOD DONORS NEEDED! IMMEDIATE CASH PAYMENT Age Limitations, 18-60 NEW HOURS 9:30 a.m. 'til 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. CAROLINA BLOOD BANK 1317 Taylor 253-6232 -SALE I PRICE INNER CITY QL ADRAQS 2016 GREEN STREET (A YIE POINTS) ~H/ SUPPER 7Am - 9 Pm t across from the relf a 1st.Plans sures as intact Chinese porcelai and ceramics of English origin. Of this shiowreck Aibright say E * *p \ y & Dr.A S.C. Ocean r "It was discovered by an amateur C diver whose wife had sent out to ,. catch lob er 1 44 n .Aibrig t ........ - 4h StudOes if a lobster, he found 1 shipvVreck. *he point is that most shipwrecks re discovered by hobby divers." He goes on to explain that he vill try td familiarize divers with he concepl that authentication ind documentation by an arche gogist at the time of their dis :overies of underwtaer artifacts is iecessary to protect both the livers' and the State's interests. He sees his responsibility as two 'old: first, to protect the interests )f the people of South Carolina in >reserving the knowledge which :an be gained from underwater archeological discoveries; and also to protect the interests of divers Nho are pursuing legitimate enter :rises. In addition to working on un dersea shipwrecks, Albright will be Nork ing in the state's coastal rivers, once navigable until gradually fill ed with silt and mud, which con tain many shipwrecks as well as trash heaps formed adjacent to early settlements. During his first few months at USC he will spend part of his time flying over coastal areas taking aerial photos from his single-engine plane. It will be at least a year before he is ready to conduct a full -scale expedition because it will take that long to learn the waters and conduct preliminary research. Albright has expressed a desire to address dive clubs around the state as soon as his luggage and slide materials arrive from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. 0