Wrapping Up

Week Five 

            Our final week began after a fun filled weekend of Fourth of July related activities.  There were fireworks around the island Saturday and Sunday nights and everyone seemed to find a good venue to watch them.

            Monday was a holiday for most but not for us.  We spent the day working on the final report and preparing for the public presentation we would be giving on Thursday.  The final report consists of sections on the methodology, research design, data collected and conclusions from our field work.

            In all we mapped nearly 4 miles of coastline along Lana`i's north shore and collected information on over 170 features ranging from wooden ship remains to steamship machinery to modern flotsam that is constantly being washed up along the beach.  Some areas contained a lot of material while some sections of beach appear to be scoured clean by the wind and the waves.  These patterns were noted as part of the site formation processes found along the beach; information that can then be used to predict where shipwreck material might be found in the future or where the material found today is from.

          By Thursday, after two very long days of writing and editing, we were ready to present our findings. Each student prepared a 5-10 minute presentation on one aspect of the report and everyone did an excellent job with their section.  Congratulations on a job well-done!  

          The final report will be filed with the Marine Option Program and the Department of Anthropology at UH along with photos and raw data.  This information is added to the small but growing body of material that will be used for future research and the building of information about the rich maritime history of the Hawaiian Islands.

          On behalf of the students and myself I want to thank everyone who supported us during MAST 2004 as well as those who come to view this website.  This was a rewarding experience for all involved and I for one am looking forward to the next adventure when we seek out answers from another maritime archaeology site, battling the wind and the rising tides as well as the hiking boots, biting bugs, cockroaches, unpaved roads, red dirt.....all in the name of archaeology!

                      --Suzanne Finney
                Instructor, MAST 2004

A portion of the final map showing historic features highlighted in orange.

The ferro-cement tanker

Our Constant Companion

You would think a ship of this size (estimated at 300 feet) would at least be identified in historic records, if not well-documented, yet no one knows exactly what ship this is or when this ship arrived along the shores of Lana`i.  Popular articles that are commonly reprinted claim it is a World War II Liberty Ship yet close examination reveals this ship was towed as it has no engine.  It is also constructed from concrete or cement over a metal frame, hence the name ferro-cement, and one more reason why it can't be a Liberty Ship.  I say apparently because this photo is about as close as the class got to the ship.  The vessel sits right on the edge of the reef between the shallow coast and the deep Kalohi Channel, not the place for a fun snorkel!  Waves can be seen even on calm days crashing against the ship and sending spray over the bow, reminding us of the forces that drove more than one ship to a final resting place along Shipwreck Beach.  Despite this we came to look forward to our first glimpse of this shipwreck as we made our way down the winding road from Lana`i City to the beach, for it meant we were nearing our destination.

Jen, Ginger, Jessi and Holly hard at work on the final report.

Kelly gives her presentation on the methods used during the field school