Join us this Friday and Saturday, February 26-27, as we celebrate the rich maritime history of our nation's oldest port. The St. Augustine and the Sea symposium is sponsored by the St. Augustine Historical Society, the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP), the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum, and the City of St. Augustine. All events are free and open to the public!

For a full schedule of speakers, please continue reading below . . .

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Ancient stone tools recently found on Crete has led archaeologists to push back the origins of seafaring by at least 70,000 years

An exciting archaeological discovery in Crete was just published in the New York Times with remarkable implications regarding the dawn of human seafaring:

Early humans, possibly even prehuman ancestors, appear to have been going to sea much longer than anyone had ever suspected.

That is the startling implication of discoveries made the last two summers on the Greek island of Crete. Stone tools found there, archaeologists say, are at least 130,000 years old, which is considered strong evidence for the earliest known seafaring in the Mediterranean and cause for rethinking the maritime capabilities of prehuman cultures.

Continue reading "America's Oldest Port: St. Augustine. The World's Oldest Port: Crete?" »

In the summer of 2009, LAMP archaeologists partnered with Pepe Productions to shoot a documentary film on our search for the lost ship Jefferson Davis, the ex-illegal slaver which became the most successful privateer of the entire Civil War. At the Society for Historical Archaeology meetings at Amelia Island, we unveiled the trailer for the upcoming film, scheduled for release next summer. Enjoy the trailer, and if you really like it, double-click on the video to visit YouTube and give it a favorable rating!