Document Type

Report

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

The old wharf on the James River at Shirley Plantation is a site of historical and archaeological interest. According to sources at Shirley Plantation, there are numerous studies of colonial-age wharves associated with towns, but there are none of wharves that were constructed primarily to serve an individual plantation. The wharf at Shirley Plantation is such a structure. Shirley Plantation is working with marine archaeologists from East Carolina University to assess the archaeology of the pier. In order to enhance the understanding of the wharf, it would be beneficial both to better visualize the condition of the river bottom in the vicinity of the wharf and to investigate the sediments and near-surface stratigraphy.

This report describes the results of a sediment coring study off the Shirley wharf which recovered four new vibracore samples. Descriptions of three additional cores, previously collected by East Carolina University, are also provided.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/m2-3cy5-2v49

Keywords

Estuarine sediments -- Virginia -- James River; Estuarine oceanography

Included in

Sedimentology Commons

COinS