This summer, graduate students from East Carolina University dove into a rare underwater detective story, uncovering fresh insights into a Civil War-era shipwreck that’s as much a time capsule as it is a maritime mystery. Dr. Nathan Richards, a professor in the Department of History and the Program in Maritime Studies, led the charge, guiding students through a field school that turned the murky waters of the lower Tar River into an open-air classroom.
The star of the show? The U.S.S. Picket, a wooden-hulled vessel built in 1861-1862, wrapped around the remnants of an earlier iron ship, the Robert F. Winslow. What makes this site a goldmine for researchers is the unprecedented exposure of the Picket’s structure—something archaeologists in the 1970s and ’80s couldn’t fully access due to sediment cover. Now, with the sediment scoured away, Richards and his students are getting a front-row seat to a maritime oddity: an intact iron hull nestled inside a wooden one.
“While we haven’t made a big discovery in revealing for the first time that this is two different types of ship, we are the first group of researchers to see it exposed to this extent, and we were able to get access to information that they didn’t have in the 1970s and ’80s,” Richards said. “Now that it is scoured out, you see an intact iron hull that is sitting inside a wooden hull. You get to see how two ships of this type were being built.”
This isn’t just any shipwreck. The Picket is believed to be the most intact—and possibly the only surviving—example of a U.S. Army craft from the Civil War era. Its unique construction, where an iron ship was repurposed and encased in wood, is rare, if not unheard of. “In this particular case, it is strange, because it almost looks like you have a shipwreck inside a shipwreck,” Richards said. The Picket’s story isn’t just about its construction; it’s a window into American naval power, technological innovation, and the rapid industrialization of the 19th century.
Beyond the historical significance, the field school was a hands-on crash course in maritime archaeology. Seven students—Harley Drange, Rebecca Kelley, Keegan Maxheimer, Liam O’Brien, Krysta Rogers, Jacob Thomas, and Ethan Whiten—worked at two sites, mastering skills like diving, snorkeling, and photogrammetry, a technique that turns photos into 3D models. They also collected data for other researchers, including microbial samples for a study on human pathogens led by Dr. Erin Field and her mentee, Sarah Kate Childs.
The Picket and the PC-1084, another shipwreck from the 20th century, were chosen for their educational value. The PC-1084, partially visible above water, allowed students to practice land-based skills, while the Picket, submerged and more challenging, pushed them to adapt to darker, murkier conditions—something ECU is known for training divers to navigate.
Richards chose these sites not just for their historical importance but also for their ability to teach students the full spectrum of maritime archaeology. “A lot of these shipwrecks are right under our noses,” he said. “The example of the Picket is a site we go to a lot. It has a pretty incredible heritage. It is worth studying, and it is worth protecting.”
As the students wrap up their summer fieldwork, the lessons they’ve learned will carry them forward—literally. This September, 14 students, including those who participated in Richards’ summer field school, will head to Finland to survey ancient harbors and shipwrecks, continuing ECU’s legacy of hands-on maritime education.
This isn’t just about uncovering the past; it’s about training the next generation of maritime archaeologists to preserve it. And with shipwrecks like the Picket, the work is far from over.