This illustrated presentation focuses on the maritime archaeological legacy related to shipping, logging, naval warfare and other activities in this region of the state. Archaeological sites include shipwrecks, namely the Brown’s Ferry Vessel, CSS Pee Dee, and USS Harvest Moon, remnants of the logging industry, and other diverse sites, structures, and objects that reflect the unique maritime heritage of the Pee Dee region of South Carolina.

James Spirek, the State Underwater Archaeologist for South Carolina, works at the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of South Carolina, Columbia.  Employed there since 1996 and holding his current position since 2012, Jim’s responsibilities include managing and studying the maritime archaeological legacy residing in the lakes, rivers, and coastal waters of South Carolina.  Jim has participated in numerous projects documenting a diverse range of sunken prehistoric and historic watercraft, Colonial and Native American sites, Civil War warships and blockade runners, and other underwater archaeological remains in state waters.  He is co-editor of Submerged Cultural Resource Management: Preserving and Interpreting Our Sunken Maritime Heritage, and a co-contributor to Archaeology in South Carolina: Exploring the Hidden Heritage of the Palmetto State, Florida’s Lost Galleon: The Emanuel Point Shipwreck, and Guns of the Pee Dee: The Cannon Recovery.  Jim received his B.A. in History from George Mason University in 1987 and his M.A. in Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology from East Carolina University in 1993.

The program will be held on December 4^th at 1 PM in the McCown Auditorium located at 805 Main Street, Conway SC. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 843-915-5320 or email hcgmuseum@horrycounty.org. To view a full list of programs, visit our website at www.horrycountymuseum.org.