The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve (JLNP) in Louisiana is home to the Barataria Preserve (BP). The BP is 23, 000 acres of protected wetlands, marshes and swamps that connects directly to the Gulf of Mexico.

“Why would one want to celebrate swamps, marshes, and bayous for National Park Week?”, some might wonder.

Well, understanding the bayous in Louisiana is truly appreciating the history and influence of these slow-running streams, on culture in the area.

The term bayou is often associated with Creole culture. Acadians, descendants of French Canadians, were among the first groups to settle in southern Louisiana near Bayou Teche.

In fact, the term “bayou” is thought to be a derivative of the Choctaw Indian term”bayuk”, which means small stream.

Life by the marshes and wetlands in Louisiana certainly impacted the merging of different ethnic groups, language, and tradition.

This Saturday, the JLNP is opening its doors for Junior Ranger Walks for children, nature walks, kayaking and much more.

Perhaps the best aspect to enjoy the JNLP is that these wetlands were not directly impacted by the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010.

Devastation from the 2010 Oil Spill continues to negatively affect the lives of coast residents. Yet, the JLNP wetlands are still open to the public.

Will you be celebrating National Park Week this year?

Would you consider going to the JNLP?

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Consider scuba diving in Florida for your next vacation. You can save money without scrimping on vacation must have’s like outdoor activities and culture.

The Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves (FUAP) offers tourists and locals several great spots to scuba dive and take in beautiful underwater culture.

The FUAP protects underwater sites and marine heritage along the coastline of Florida. To date, FUAP has designated 11 sites or Museums in the Sea where divers can explore submerged ships and underwater heritage.

The various underwater museums in Florida’s Museums in the Sea are the locale of some of histories most fascinating battles and naval fleet wars.

The site of Urca de Lima is said to be the place where the alleged 1715 Spanish treasure fleet sank during a hurricane at Ft. Pierce. Surrounding every sunken ship, there is a deep tale or two as to the cargo of the vessel, and how she mysteriously sunk.

Lofthus is another site protected by FUAP. There, the vessel rests at the bottom of the sea after wrecking off Manalapan, FL in 1898.

According to FUAP, the Lofthus averted the attacks of cut-throat pirates by painting “trompe l’oeil”  gun ports. But alas, it wasn’t a bank of thievish pirates that let to the Lofthus’ demise. It sank from natural causes.

The San Pedro wreckage of the Museums in the Sea takes divers along a historical journey where a Spanish galleon of the 1733 Spanish Plate Fleet saw her last days in the Florida Keys near Islamorada.

All this and more awaits scuba divers and travelers who want to budget for a memorable yet cost-effective family vacation.

You don’t have to travel all seven seas or spend exorbitant amounts of money to enjoy a lone, group, or family vacation. Think fun, accessible, and easy on the wallet with scuba diving in Florida.

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Now water fountains that gather penny pitchers wishes are spotted less frequently. Where did the idea of wishing wells and magical fountains originate from? And have we stopped believing in the fantastical idea that wishes come true when a few coins hit the bottom of a well?

Across time and culture, water has symbolized healing and life. The mystique surrounding wishing wells and water fountains has its roots in European folklore.

The power of “healing waters” is referenced in religious texts and ancient mythology. According to European folklore, deities resided in water wells. Ancient Germanic and Celtic groups would throw the weapons of defeated enemy forces into water wells as a sacrifice to their deity, paying tribute to their gods, thankful for the favor that was bestowed upon them in battle.

Despite the differences in currency used for paying tribute at a wishing well, one common denominator underlies all of these practices. At the site of all wishing wells or fountains, one would have to sacrifice a precious commodity in order to receive what he or she was asking for. Sacrifice has consistently been understood as a means of seeing a dream come true.

In ancient Norse mythology, the story of Odin holds that he sacrificed his eye at Mimir’s Well, or the Well of Wisdom, in order to attain infinite wisdom. Ironically, Odin and others like him pay exorbitant prices to attain what can’t be bought and sold by men.

Over time, presenting gifts to the water deities evolved into the Western cultural practice of throwing spare change into fountains and water wells.

The hopeful penny-tosser may not be aware of the pagan roots of water well wishes. But, the act of paying tribute or sacrificing to a deity for the sake of fulfilling a wish is rooted in this ancient mythology.

But why have wishing wells and water fountains slowly faded from cultural practice? Has the recession got even dreamers pinching every nickel and dime? Don’t people believe, even if just for the sake of believing, that water well wishes really can come true?

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Thus far, archaeologists have yet to find remnants of the ships sailed by Captain Morgan. If experts confirm that the cannons did belong to Captain Morgan, legends of the former governor of Jamaica and bane of the Spanish Empire will be more than just tall tales.

Captain Henry Morgan was the Welsh privateer commissioned by the British crown to protect the British colonies in the Caribbean in the seventeenth century. The archaeological site where divers are at work is at the mouth of the Chagres River, a place where the Captain staged one of his notorious missions.

In the late 1600’s, Captain Morgan sent an envoy of three ships and a crew of 470 men to capture the Captain Castillo de San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres. When Captain Morgan sailed up the Chagres River to meet the crew, his ship, the Satisfaction, crashed into the Lajas Reef. The ship and everything on board sank in the shallow water of the Chagres River.

Thus far, archaeologists at the site have found the six cannons. But, excavators are working under pressure since treasure hunters are reportedly lurking near the site.

A report from the L.A. Times indicated that two guns, an anchor, ceramics and other artifacts are buried at the site. Other metal objects are thought to be deeper beneath the ocean’s surface.

The findings of the American-Panamanian nautical archaeological team would have immense implications for the field of nautical archaeology in Panama in preserving nautical archaeology and underwater heritage key initiatives of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

As the mission continues, will UNESCO identify the local as a potential World Heritage Site?

The photo above is  a drawing of Captain Henry Morgan recruiting.

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In a previous article published on 08 December 2010, nautical archaeologist Shelley Wachsmann told WaterWideWeb, “Shipwrecks are important because in any given society, a ship is the most developed or technologically advanced piece of equipment that the society has.”

In the case of China’s Nan Hai No. 1, information about ship building will unveil details about the society’s capacity to construct intricate naval vessels.  Clues about the way China conducted marine trade with the Middle East and the rest of the world over 800 years ago could perhaps write a new chapter in the country’s history.

Zhang Wei, director of the Underwater Archaeology Center of China, discovered the Nan Hai No. 1 site. in 1987. At the time, the field of nautical archaeology was still a relatively new discipline in China. A state funded organization to protect and preserve findings from submerged sites in Chinese waters was not in place in China.

Nevertheless, Wei assembled a team of nautical archaeologists and experts to excavate the Nan Hai No. 1 ship in 1988. Unfortunately, funding for research was not available for Wei to continue his excavation. The project was temporarily put on hold until additional financial resources could be obtained.

In 2001, Wei was granted money from Hong Kong’s Underwater Archaeology Association to support his efforts. Now, the Nan Hai No. 1 exhibit is displayed as an aquarium in Guangdong Province. The shipwreck is housed in a water palace that is filled with water of the same quality, temperature, and environment as the site where it was first discovered.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Nan Hai No. 1 Museum is “to become certainly one of the most important museums of underwater cultural heritage worldwide.”

Rescuing this shipwreck by Wei’s archaeology team was also a fascinating venture and contribution to nautical archaeology projects. A team of experts first covered the shipwreck with a bottomless steel container.

The end pieces of the steel encasement were sharpened and driven into the seabed using weights that were placed on the steel covering. Then, team members dug around the encasement and placed steel sheets underneath the vessel. Finally, the wreck was raised to the surface.

This approach was almost a way of saying that the site was the exclusive property of the China’s government. Treasure hunters and other potential intruders were not welcome at the site of the shipwreck.

Sadly, China has lost similar opportunities to examine their history by the sea because of treasure hunters like Mike Hatcher and Luc Heymans. Hatcher and Heymans robbed China of its underwater cultural heritage via nefarious and barely legal means, auctioning precious artifacts of sunken Chinese cargo for personal gain.

Furthermore, international law to protect submerged treasures off a country’s shores did not stipulate that said nations had direct rights to these finds.

The Nan Hai No. 1 Museum is significant for of its role in preserving cultural posterity and contributing to economic development in China. Revenue generated from ticket sales and tourists’ visits to Hailing Island in Guangdong Province will certainly have a positive financial impact on the country. Increased profits from museum visits will potentially support an effort to allocate more government funding for research and excavation of other sunken Chinese heritage.

On 22 October 2010, a report published by China.org indicated that the first freshwater nautical excavation in China will take place in the Poyang Lake. This endeavor is evidence that the interest and urgency in extending China’s nautical archaeology discipline are at hand.

Occurrences like these are just a couple of the myriad examples of sea exploitation on a sovereign nation’s submerged cultural property. Too often, developing and emerging countries are at risk for such tragedies due to a lack of expertise, resources or policing and legal protection.

The U.N. Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, together with the Underwater Cultural Heritage Division of UNESCO works to prevent this and other exploitation, from endangering underwater heritage. But China’s nautical archaeology field is emerging and the country is firmly grasping this initiative with steel encasements and a tight fist.

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Ancient Rainwater Tunnel Found in Jerusalem

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Archaeologists speculate that the tunnel was used to drain rainwater around the Second Temple in the Old City before it was destroyed in 70 A.D.

The tunnel itself is 2,000 feet long, running from the heart of the Old City to the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan. According to reports about the tunnel, its course lies beneath the streets of the Old City and not under citizen homes.

The layout of the rainwater tunnel can give experts and archaeologists clues about what life was like during the Second Temple period before 70 A.D. Experts will soon identify the function of the rainwater tunnel to the city and its inhabitants.

Additional research about the rainwater tunnel will indicate how the ancient community handled excess rainwater. Was rainwater recycled and reused for other water projects? Or, was the excess water dumped and not used for agriculture, irrigation, or some other need of agrarian societies?

Questions about the excavation project and rights to the site remain. Some speculate that the archaeological project was an attempt to solidify Israel’s control over primarily Palestinian neighborhoods.

Ultimately, specialists and officials will have to determine who history belongs to in the case of the rainwater tunnel. When the excavation is complete, discussions about its status as a World Heritage Site or as one of the Wonders of the ancient world will leave history buffs and cultural connoisseurs curious about who owns the history of the rainwater tunnel.

The rainwater tunnel discovery ignites passions about religious and political issues in Israel. The project holds immense significance for the region. Dually, the rainwater tunnel is part of ancient history and a pawn on the chessboard of present-day politics.

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Excavations at the site of Port Royal ended in 1990. Questions about this hub of the 17th century British Empire linger as remains of the notorious city stay locked beneath of the ocean’s surface. Why is Port Royal an area of interest to the world of nautical archeologists? Why aren’t they digging for cultural treasure buried in the “wickedest city of the west”?

The streets of Port Royal, Jamaica were luxurious in the late 17th century. Jamaica was a Spanish colony until the British claimed the island in 1655. Port Royal was a city of cultural and commercial exchange. The city was a commercial center of trade in African slaves, sugar, and other goods.

Port Royal was also a hot spot for cut throat pirates. In fact, contracts for sanctioned privateering were issued by the British king to loot Spanish ships that were in close proximity to the Port. Even Captain Henry Morgan himself roamed the sketchy streets of Port Royal, leaving a legacy of pirate folklore and a unique element of notoriety that was uncommon in other colonies of the New World.

The economy was flooded by the wages of a common artisan’s honest day’s pay, and revenue from under the table deals of pirates, gamblers, and tavern keepers. Women of ill repute frequented the taverns, and sailors who made a semi-honest living at sea lavishly spent their earnings on these ladies of the evening.

The Puritan morality that shaped colonies in New England was not mirrored in Port Royal. Debauchery was not a dirty word to the citizens of Port Royal. Nonetheless, the heyday of mischief and ill-gotten gain came to a cataclysmic halt on the morning of June 7, 1692 when an earthquake and tidal wave submerged the infamous city.

The disaster took 2,000 lives on impact, and 3,000 more lives were lost due to injuries and disease following the earthquake. Moreover, the catastrophic event drove history down to the depths of the sea, leaving history buffs ever so curious about the city that changed the Caribbean and the New World during its 37 years of existence.

From 1981 through 1990, the Nautical Archaeology Program of Texas A & M ,in conjunction with the Jamaica National Heritage Trust,  excavated the site of Port Royal. Eight buildings were excavated. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that only 13 percent of the city was excavated, leaving 87 percent of the historical time capsule untouched.

According to UNESCO, “the Caribbean is under-represented on the World Heritage List. Jamaica currently has only one site on its tentative list and no sites with World Heritage Status.” Deeming Port Royal a World Heritage Site requires additional excavation efforts, which is much easier said than done.

Issues such as tourism development, unregulated fishing practices, and lack of infrastructure exacerbate efforts to excavate Port Royal. A multifaceted response from the local community, government officials, developers, and nautical archaeologists is necessary to continue excavation at the site of Port Royal.

History and timeless artifacts of the world’s wickedest city are off limits to experts eager to  thread together the tumultuous times of Port Royal. The world will just have to wonder about life in this city of chaos and hedonism. Not to mention, the Western Hemisphere will be one World Heritage Site short.

If nautical archaeologists are hungry for adventure and good old fashioned treasure hunting, Port Royal is just waiting to be discovered by the rest of this relatively tame world. Experts say it is unlikely that another place on Earth compares to Port Royal. For now, legends of the city are just a short chapter in the text of a history book.

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The city of Alexandria is said to be “the largest and most magnificent city in antiquity,” by the FGS. Architecture in Alexandria rivaled that of ancient Rome.  There Cleopatra VII, ruler of Egypt and Queen of Roman hearts, staged one of the world’s most infamous love scandals. Her affair with Julius Caesar solidified her claim to the throne after the birth of their son Caesarion.

When Julius Caesar was assassinated, Cleopatra VII allied herself romantically with Mark Antony, a close comrade of Julius Caesar. In 31 B.C., Mark Antony and Roman Republic leader Octavian broke alliances and civil war erupted between the two. After Mark Antony was defeated by Octavian, he and Cleopatra committed suicide.

Clues about the life and times of Cleopatra VII are now being pieced together by the FGS’ team of twenty experts. Sunken temples and the palace of Cleopatra are answering questions about one of history’s most interesting women.

Articles excavated by the FGS at Port Magnus, Alexandria were relatively intact. Fortunately, sediment protected artifacts from sea water damage. The 2010 Mission Report by the FGS lists several items that were hidden beneath the ocean’s surface at Port Magnus, Alexandria.

The team found two sphinxes, one thought to be modeled after Cleopatra VII’s father, Ptolemy XII Auletes.  The team also discovered a stone covering that experts believe is modeled after Caesarion, the Queens’ son and co-ruler of Egypt during her reign.

An exhibit of the archaeological findings of the excavation was recently on display at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA. The exhibition was titled Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt. The exhibition is moving to Cincinnati, OH in February of this year. The exhibit will be open 18 February through 5 September 2011. The tour is said to continue throughout several other North American cities.

The ruins of the palace and temple of Cleopatra are an underwater gateway to the ancient world. The story of Cleopatra VII is far from merely a short chapter in the text of ancient history. The project at Port Magnus, Alexandria is rousing curiosities about the ancient beauty Cleopatra and her tumultuous grip on the Roman Republic and Egypt.

The findings of nautical archaeologists at Port Magnus, Alexandria will tell a timeless tale of love, betrayal, and back-handed politics in a booming metropolis of the ancient world. History buffs can hardly wait to learn more about the infamous Cleopatra and how her sultry political savvy shaped history forever.

WWW wants to hear from you:

What are the implications of underwater archaeological excavations like Port Magnus at Alexandria?

What could the artifacts reveal about the ancient world and the role of Cleopatra in shaping history?

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Baiheliang: The World’s Ancient Hydrological Station

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Since the first year of the Tang Dynasty in 763 BC, water levels of the Yangtze River were recorded with inscriptions of fish eyes and other hydrological annotations at Baiheliang. The rock served as a hydrometric station.

The rock laid submerged underwater for most of the year. In the winter and early spring seasons, the uppermost point of the rock would protrude from the Yangtze River’s surface. Then, the Chinese would indicate where the water level was according to what point of the rock it reached.

In total, there are 163 markings on Baiheliang, and 144 of those indicate the levels of the Yangtze River for over 1200 consecutive years.  Along with water markings, there are inscriptions from over 300 ancients Chinese poets. This series of symbols and markings makes Baiheliang the longest sequences of its kind in the world.

Baiheliang was unknown to the Western world until the 1970’s, when Chinese experts brought photos of the site to a British international hydrological symposium. Hydrological experts analyzed the inscriptions of Baheiliang and concluded that there was a cyclic pattern of water levels of the Yangtze River.

According to experts, every three to five years there was a period of low water in the River. Every 10 to 12 years, there was a dry season, and every 600 years, there’s a season of very low water in the Yangtze River. Interestingly, China’s two largest water conservancy projects, the Gezhouba Hydropower Station and the Three Gorges Reservoir were both completed after consulting the systemic data provided by Baiheliang. Reliable data about the Yangtze River levels is found at Baiheliang as hydrological experts corroborated findings of the Baiheliang inscriptions.

In May of 2009, an underwater museum in the Fuling District of the PRC was opened and Baiheliang is now on display. The Baiheliang Museum welcomes visitors from all over the world. Building the Baiheliang museum costs $186 yuan, roughly $27.6 USD. The Museum was under construction for six years and finally opened its door on May 18, 2009.

The Baiheliang Museum is mentioned as one of the eight submerged museums listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). At Baiheliang, water science and culture truly intersect and a fascinating piece of history is left for present and future generations to explore.

The photo above is a picture of the Yangtze River.

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A few of these natural wonders have only been discovered within the last century. Tourists from near and far places across the globe now travel to South America to feast their eyes on these amazing wonders of nature.

Tequendama Falls in Bogota, Colombia is the second largest waterfall in the world. The falls are located twenty minutes west of the capital city. Interestingly, the falls are completely dry during the month of December.

For the indigenous people who lived near the falls before imperialism, Tequendama Falls was not merely a place for holiday vacation. According to legend, indigenous people would jump off the Tequendama Falls to flee forced slavery during the Spanish conquest.

It was believed that people who jumped became eagles that flew to freedom and escaped the grips of servitude. The waterfall represented a sense of escape and freedom in a time when their livelihoods were in grave danger.

Venezuela is home to Angela Falls, one of the country’s top tourist attractions. Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall. Most water from the falls evaporates before reaching the ground because of its immense height.

Angel Falls in Venezuela

Angel Falls was undiscovered by the outside world until November 16, 1933 when American aviator Jimmie Angel flew over the waterfalls and brought word of its majesty to non-native Venezuelans.

The Falls were named “Angel Falls” in his honor. Hugo Chavez, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, rejected the name. Instead, Chavez suggested the indigenous phrase “Kerepakupai Merú”, which translates to “waterfall of the deepest place”.

Chavez claimed that the falls were known by Venezuelans before Jimmie Angel’s accidental discovery in 1933. However, Chavez did not formally change the name, declaring that the indigenous name for the falls was more appropriate than the Americanized version.

For Chavez, the falls were a part of Venezuela’s heritage and history.  Angel Falls, as people outside of Venezuela know it, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gocta Falls in Chachapoyas, Peru was discovered eight years ago by a German named Stefan Ziemendorff. Before Ziemendorff’s expedition to the Falls, the site was a well kept secret of Peruvian natives.

Gocta Falls in Peru

The natives of the area hid the Falls because they feared that a blonde mermaid, who allegedly resided in the water, would put a curse on them for revealing her sacred falls. 

Gocta is nestled in the Peruvian jungles, five hours from the village of Cocachimba. Along the way to the falls, rare birds, toucans, and other species of the Peruvian jungle thrive.

Organized tourist groups are not yet in place for Gocta Falls. Travelers seeking to blaze a trail through the unchartered Peruvian jungle are advised to be in good physical shape before setting out on this expedition.

As evidenced by the discovery of Angel and Gocta Falls, the world is full of water wonders, and some are yet to be discovered. Tequendama Falls, Angel Falls and Gocta Falls are unique water landscapes that hold distinct cultural identities. The revenue generated from trips to these locations could spur economic growth for local communities while promoting cultural awareness for visitors and tourists.

Understanding communities through their waters is essential to preserving national identities and promoting development for local communities. When visiting these distant and historic places, keep in mind the legend of the falls.