AECOM helps protect archaeological sites threatened by storms and coastal erosion
Two major hurricanes, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, hit North Carolina in 2018 resulting in over $23 billion of damages, including impacts to numerous historic buildings and archeological sites. In response, the U.S. Congress approved National Park Service-administered Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) grants, of which North Carolina received $17 million to help support the repair of historic buildings and help local communities prepare for future storm events. The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology (OSA) received two grants, one of which funded the North Carolina Shorescape Survey, the goal of which was to identify the impacts of these and other storms on terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites on state-owned lands in Onslow and Terrell Counties, North Carolina.
The North Carolina OSA contracted AECOM to support the project at Pettigrew State Park, lands owned by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and Hammocks Beach State Park in Tyrrell and Onslow Counties, which included a terrestrial archaeological survey, an underwater archaeological survey, a shoreline assessment to determine the threat to archaeological sites from future storms, and site management recommendations. The surveys documented 22 new and previously recorded terrestrial archaeological sites, including Middle to Late Woodland middens, a Civil War earthwork, and two shipwrecks. The shoreline assessment identified areas experiencing significant storm-induced coastal erosion resulting in the destruction of archaeological sites as well as sites that are much better protected from storm events.
The project included a public outreach component where AECOM facilitated public meetings prior to the surveys to obtain information from the local communities and after the surveys to inform the communities of the project findings. AECOM also participated in a symposium about two of the ESHPF grant-funded projects at the Society for Historical Archaeology 2025 Conference on Historical and Underwater Archaeology.
View of Huggins Island survey area at Hammocks Beach State Park
Survey areas in North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission lands
1860 Map of survey areas in North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission lands
Side-scan sonar image of shipwreck
Projectile points recovered during terrestrial survey of Hammocks Beach State Park
Civil War earthworks at Hammocks Beach State Park