Dr. R. Christopher Goodwin is a longstanding New Orleans executive who guides archaeological and historical site preservation projects for a host of state and federal entities. Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, R. Christopher Goodwin, PhD, and his associates were quickly mobilized to conduct architectural and archaeological inventories and damage assessments for FEMA and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
One major effort centered on surveys of newly-identified areas for flood protection construction along Lake Pontchartrain’s southern shore, in areas where Hurricane Katrina had inundated homes and businesses and breached flood walls and flood gates. The near-shore marine archaeological survey completed by the firm’s nautical archaeology division extended nearly 40 miles and focused on identifying historic shipwrecks likely to experience damage or destruction during construction of a new and more resilient flood protection system.
Dr. Goodwin’s team employed nautical remote sensing technologies such as cesium vapor marine magnetometer and side scan sonar in recording and assessing target positions. In addition, digital equipment such as sub-meter accurate GPS technology and sub-bottom profilers were deployed. The end result was the discovery of a series of shipwrecks that ranged in age from a late 19th century vernacular two pointed sailboat and several v-bottom scow schooners from the late 19th century to early 20th-century workboats. In this manner, these historic vessels could be avoided during the rebuilding of New Orleans' levee system.
One major effort centered on surveys of newly-identified areas for flood protection construction along Lake Pontchartrain’s southern shore, in areas where Hurricane Katrina had inundated homes and businesses and breached flood walls and flood gates. The near-shore marine archaeological survey completed by the firm’s nautical archaeology division extended nearly 40 miles and focused on identifying historic shipwrecks likely to experience damage or destruction during construction of a new and more resilient flood protection system.
Dr. Goodwin’s team employed nautical remote sensing technologies such as cesium vapor marine magnetometer and side scan sonar in recording and assessing target positions. In addition, digital equipment such as sub-meter accurate GPS technology and sub-bottom profilers were deployed. The end result was the discovery of a series of shipwrecks that ranged in age from a late 19th century vernacular two pointed sailboat and several v-bottom scow schooners from the late 19th century to early 20th-century workboats. In this manner, these historic vessels could be avoided during the rebuilding of New Orleans' levee system.
