Dietrich, Patricia (Texas A&M University), and John A. Gifford (RSMAS, University of Miami). RESULTS OF RECENT UNDERWATER EXCAVATIONS AT LITTLE SALT SPRING (8SO18) FLORIDA Little Salt Spring is a karst solution feature located in the Florida Platform, about 14 km from the Gulf of Mexico. This cover-collapse sinkhole is approximately 76 meters in diameter at the surface and in profile has an hourglass shape. The upper spring basin has been the site of underwater excavations during the spring semesters of 1992, 1994, 1995, and 1996. Based on findings up to the 1996 field season, Dietrich and Gifford hypothesized that human utilization of the spring was more or less continuous from prior to 12,000 years before present (ybp) through approximately 5800 ybp, with a possible hiatus between 8500 and 7500 ybp, and that this utilization was a function of water quality as well as water levels. A number of important results were obtained during this season's underwater excavations. These included the recovery of two bone tools manufactured from long limb bones of Oedocoileus virginianus; the left portion of a five-point antler, of which tines 2 and 3 had been circumscribed and removed; and two bottle gourd fragments. These items were discovered in a stratum that had been assigned a temporal range of 8750 to 8390 ybp, based on radiocarbon dating of associated material. The discovery of these artifacts and the bottle gourd fragments within this time fram support the authors' hypothesis, particularly spring utilization by humans between approximately 9000 and 8500 ybp. Dorwin, John T. (Ball State University). THE GENEVA KATHLEEN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A TEXAS LUMBER SCHOONER IN THE TWILIGHT OF SAIL The GENEVA KATHLEEN was built in Beaumont, Texas, in 1918 specifically for the lumber trade of the East and Gulf Coast United States and the Caribbean. The vessel was of wood with three masts and schooner rigged. After a twelve year career and three different owners, she was stranded in 1930 on a reef off the north shore of Grand Cayman Island. The Ball State University Underwater Archaeology Field School has spent three seasons in non-intrusive documentation of the wreck, now scattered across Little Bluff Bay. Under the supervision of the writer and coordinated with the Cayman Islands National Museum, surveying, identification of components, mapping, photography and videography were accomplished. The ship's cargo of lumber played a role in the development of the East End and North Side of Grand Cayman. Extensive and detailed records of many of the voyages of the GENEVA KATHLEEN have been located at Stephen F. Austin University. They include information of payrolls, diet, repairs, expenses, and profit and loss statements for each trip. Forest, Glenn A. (East Carolina University). IS THE CHICOD CREEK VESSEL A CONFEDERATE MACON-CLASS PORTER GUNBOAT? Located in a tributary of the Tar River in Pitt County, North Carolina, the Chicod Creek Vessel has been under investigation since 1973. The hypothesis has evolved that this vessel is a Confederate MACON-Class Porter gunboat launched in March 1862, at Washington, North Carolina, in advance of Federal forces and later burned by Confederates. If it is one of the "Washington Gunboats" then it is the earliest remaining example of a steam-powered twin-screw vessel. During the last two years, the Program in Maritime Studies has completed excavation and mapping of the entire port side of this vessel including the bow and stern. The paper for this conference will examine the Chicod Creek Vessel in the context of both the vessel's history and archaeology to demonstrate that it is one of the earliest members of America's first class of twin screw warships - a Porter gunboat. Foster, John (California State Parks), and Charles Beeker (Indiana University, Underwater Science and Educational Resources). THE CONQUEST OF A SINKHOLE: INITIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT EL MANANTIAL DE LA ALETA El Manantial de la Aleta is a large limestone sinkhole holding a deep basin of crystal clear water within East National Park, Dominican Republic. It has been a vital landscape feature for many centuries. This spring was the apparent water source for the capital village of the Taino cacique Cotubanama and was conquered by Juan de Esquivel in the bloody conquest of Higuey in 1503. La Aleta has begun to yield numerous archaeological treasures from its depths. Elaborate pottery vessels, stone hachas, wooden handles, and canoe paddles have recently been recovered by native divers. Skeletal remains are also reported from the submerged deposit at a depth of 120-240 feet. This paper reports the first archaeological penetration of La Aleta, describes well-preserved artifacts from the sinkhole, and presents insights into Taino life at the time of the Spanish conquest. Anita Cohen-Williams Listowner of HISTARCH, SUB-ARCH, and SPANBORD Internet Consultant [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." - Samuel Goldwyn.