FSU Marine Lab Offers Lecture on Historic Dugout

On Thursday, May 8, from 7 to 9 p.m., the public is invited to attend the next in a series of free lectures on coastal and marine conservation held throughout the year at the Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory, located between Carrabelle and Panacea at the intersection of Highways 98 and 319 in St. Teresa.

Thursday's lecture, "A Historic Dugout from the Apalachicola River." will be presented by Kevin M. Porter, senior archaeologist for the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research. Refreshments will be served.

During May 2006, loggers removed a large log boat from the Apalachicola River in Franklin Count. An investigation revealed the vessel to be carved from a single cypress tree and more than 50 feet in length; one of the longest dugout craft known in the state.

Based on the rectilinear and angular shape, evidence for fabrication with metal-edged tools, and radiometric radiocarbon analysis, the craft appears to be a 19th-century colonial canoe hybrid designed for the transport of cargo. The boat is unlike any other on record in the state. Its study has provided a unique opportunity to contribute to the growing body of information regarding Florida¹s historic watercraft.

For more information on the May 8 event or future lectures in the series, visit the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory Web site at www.marinelab.fsu.edu/outreach.html or contact Maranda Marxsen 697-4120 or mmarxsen@admin.fsu.edu