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Rising Waters and Coastal Maritime Heritage at Risk in Massachusetts: A Warning from the Ada K. Damon Shipwreck Site

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Abstract

During a major winter storm in 1909, the schooner Ada K. Damon was thrown onto a beach in northeastern Massachusetts, where it became a local cultural-heritage landmark for over 100 years. It was a site for salvage, picnics, photo opportunities, and archaeological field schools, surviving severe weather events of all types, protected in the lee of nearby Plum Island and by sediments that covered it for over a century. In 2020 the site was destroyed by effects from the confluence of climate-change-induced sea-level rise, seasonal king tides, and high seas from a passing hurricane. This loss raises serious questions about the vulnerability of Massachusetts's coastal maritime heritage to sea-level rise and erosion. This article examines Ada K. Damon as part of a local community’s cultural fabric and considers the site as a case study for coastal maritime heritage at risk from climate change.

Resumen

Durante una gran tormenta del invierno del año 1909, la goleta Ada K. Damon fue arrojada a una playa en el noreste de Massachusetts, donde se convirtió en un hito del patrimonio cultural local durante más de 100 años. Era un sitio para salvamento, días de campo, oportunidades fotográficas y escuelas de campo arqueológico, sobreviviendo a eventos climáticos severos de todo tipo, protegido a sotavento de la cercana Isla Plum y por sedimentos que lo cubrieron durante más de un siglo. En 2020, el sitio fue destruido por los efectos de la confluencia del aumento del nivel del mar inducido por el cambio climático, las mareas reales estacionales y la alta mar de un huracán que pasó. Esta pérdida plantea serias dudas sobre la vulnerabilidad del patrimonio marítimo costero de Massachusetts ante el aumento del nivel del mar y la erosión. Este artículo examina la Ada K. Damon como parte del tejido cultural de una comunidad local y considera el sitio como un estudio de caso para el patrimonio marítimo costero en riesgo por el cambio climático.

Résumé

Au cours d'une grosse tempête hivernale en 1909, la goélette Ada K. Damon fut rejetée sur une plage du nord-est du Massachusetts, où elle devint un élément marquant du patrimoine culturel local pendant plus de 100 ans. Ce site dédié à la récupération de matériaux, aux pique-niques et à la prise de photos, ainsi qu'à l'organisation de sorties scolaires archéologiques, survécut à des événements météorologiques de tous types, protégé par la côte sous le vent de la toute proche Plum Island et par les sédiments l'ayant recouvert durant plus d'un siècle. En 2020, le site a été détruit par les effets issus de la confluence de la montée du niveau de la mer consécutif au changement climatique, des grandes marées saisonnières et des fortes houles du passage d'un ouragan. Cette perte a soulevé des questions graves quant à la vulnérabilité du patrimoine maritime côtier du Massachusetts face à la montée du niveau de la mer et à l'érosion. Cet article examine l'épave Ada K. Damon comme faisant partie du tissu culturel d'une communauté locale et il envisage le site comme une étude de cas sur le patrimoine maritime côtier menacé par le changement climatique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Redfield Building 120, MS No. 34, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, 02543, MA, U.S.A.

    Calvin H. Mires

  2. Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources, 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA, 02114, U.S.A.

    David S. Robinson

  3. Massachusetts Archaeological Society, 33 Dale Street, Peabody, MA, 01960, U.S.A.

    Victor T. Mastone

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  1. Calvin H. Mires
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Correspondence to Calvin H. Mires.

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Conflict of Interest Statement

While the authors believe that there are no conflicts of interest, in order to ensure objectivity and transparency in research, and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, they wish to inform the readers of Historical Archaeology that Mr. David Robinson is the current director of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (MBUAR), and Mr. Victor Mastone served as director before retiring in 2018. The MBUAR is charged by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to protect, preserve, and document all maritime cultural resources in Massachusetts State waters. Dr. Calvin Mires, the senior author, has no conflict of interest.

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Mires, C.H., Robinson, D.S. & Mastone, V.T. Rising Waters and Coastal Maritime Heritage at Risk in Massachusetts: A Warning from the Ada K. Damon Shipwreck Site. Hist Arch 57, 517–531 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-023-00420-4

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