Flagler Beach, FL- Sharing her firsthand perspective, Airielle Cathers, Diving Safety Office and Maritime Archaeologist for the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum offered a matter-of-fact assessment of the scene as they worked quickly against the incoming tide to document the historic find on Flagler Beach, August 8-10.
“The St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) was first alerted to the appearance of the anchor on Monday when Suzie Johnston reached out to us directly,” said Cathers.
“At that point, we alerted local police to secure the site and ensure that nothing ‘walked away’ until we could document it. We visited the site on Monday and again on Wednesday, taking measurements and photos to record as much information as possible. With this information, in conjunction with historical knowledge of this coastline, we estimate that this anchor is from the 19th Century, most likely from a cargo-carrying ship.”
As for what will happen to the discovery, Cathers and others are working to determine the best course of action.
“At this point, the anchor has begun to sink back into the sand and is now fully covered at low tide. This is of particular importance as any exposure to the sun and other elements will increase the rate of decay. The best we can currently do for the anchor is to keep it covered in the fine, wet sand that has hidden it for all these years,” said Cathers.
“We are in communication with the State Archaeologists, as well as local and city officials for possible next steps. Ensuring the best possible preservation and historical integrity of this anchor is our, and the State’s, primary objective. We really appreciate the support of the local community for keeping an eye on the site and reporting any looting or further erosion,” she said.
Flagler Beach Mayor Suzie Johnston has been busy navigating both the erosion issue dominating the conversation and the historic discovery.
“It’s exciting to have artifacts being found, being located close to such a historical landmark up the road in St. Augustine,” said Johnston, appreciative of the support from archaeologists at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum.
“(We knew) it would be sooner or later that we would finally find something on our shore. The scientific research has not been done on the anchor yet, but we hopefully will be able to put the new artifact in our Flagler Beach Historical Museum.”
It’s always exiting to us to see what discoveries the sand holds. I’m so proud of our amazing team at the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program,” said Kathy Fleming, Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum in St. Augustine, Florida, after the recent discovery of a buried anchor on the shores of Flagler Beach.
As the facility’s team of experts launched into action to assess the discovery, Fleming praised their rapid response and professionalism when it comes to research and preservation.
“They have an amazing response time to the State, to the community and more,” she said.
“In an area with history as rich at this, our archaeologists are able to discover long forgotten information and bring it to the public in Nation’s Oldest Port Program.”
Featured Images (provided by St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum): Jacksonville’s First Coast News Anchor/Reporter Jessica Clark films the LAMP team on site in Flagler Beach. See Report.
