ADMAT USA and their founding organization Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeological Team (ADMAT) completed a very successful first stage of the survey of the Button Wreck. During the three week archaeological survey ending in August 2005, they uncovered the rear section of the ship. The remains are in an extraordinary perfect state of preservation, with the lower hull assembly being intact from the amidships section to the stern. At present they estimate that the ship was constructed between the 1740s and 1760s and report that it is very rare to find such an old ship in such excellent condition in the shallow waters of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Chesapeake Technology Inc. (CTI) helped to sponsor the project by loaning software to the team for the mission. Dr. Simon Q. Spooner, vice president of ADMAT USA, thanked John Gann, CTI's vice president, for CTI's involvement. "We all wish to thank you and your company for your tremendous support for our Florida Keys Maritime Archaeological Project," said Dr Spooner. As a sponsor of the project, CTI was presented the certificate of appreciation shown below.
ADMAT will be completing the ships plans, which are created from thousands of measurements of the surviving hull construction, soon. Also, the interim maritime archaeological report of their findings will be submitted to NOAA. Reports generated by ADMAT will also be used by the Sanctuary and NOAA to help protect these important U.S. maritime heritage resources.
ADMAT was also asked to present a paper on the Button Wreck at the NOAA Maritime Educational Conference, at The National Maritime Centre Norfolk, VA. on November 18–20, 2005. This was NOAA's big educational conference.
ADMAT will be returning to continue their educational work on this and other sites, next year between March 25 and May 6, 2006. They also have expanded and started a project in the Dominican Republic for their Government. They are surveyinig historic French wrecks from the 1760s.They are examining 4 historic shipwrecks and will be using CTI software.
CTI was glad to assist in these efforts to discover and preserve these rare historic finds.
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