Jonathan is an underwater archaeologist with Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Service, based in Ottawa, Canada. His research interests and publications include shipwrecks from the War of 1812 and the effects of zebra and quagga mussels on historic shipwrecks.
For over ten years he has conducted archaeological and historical research on the Hamilton & Scourge, and serves as a Parks Canada principal underwater archaeological advisor to the City of Hamilton, the owners of the Hamilton & Scourge.
He was the lead underwater archaeologist for a Parks Canada / ASI Group side-scan sonar survey of the Hamilton & Scourge Shipwreck Site in 2007 and for the Ghost Ships Hamilton and ScourgeShipwreck Condition Survey 2008. This latter project was a partnership between the City of Hamilton, ASI Group Ltd., the Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, Canadian Hydrographic Service and Parks Canada.
The Hamilton & Scourge: An Archaeological Perspective
The Hamilton & Scourge have been the subject of intermittent historical and archaeological investigation since their discovery in 1973, most recently in May 2008.
This presentation will provide an overview of past historical and archaeological study of the wrecks and summarize what we know, what we do not know, and what we would like to know about the wrecks, from an archaeological perspective.
It will present a range of plans, drawings, photographs and video documentation from 1973-2008, with a view to showcasing the extraordinary archaeological story the wrecks offer. It will show examples of fascinating wreck features, both inside and outside of the hulls, and compare and contrast the present (2008) site conditions with those observed during previous visits to the wrecks.
