Training

RIMAP is please to announce its 2021 training cycle starting in June. We have a full schedule and are offering two sessions of the Introduction to Marine Archaeology class, and a number of specialized topics. Some extra offerings occur throughout the year, especially closer to the summer fieldwork. Class prices vary, depending on materials and class length (3 hours to 2 days). Pre-registration is recommended at least three days in advance because classes without enough students are sometimes canceled. Written confirmation with details are sent to registered students.

To register, please download the registration form, complete, and email it back to us at rhodeislandmap@yahoo.com. If you are unable to scan in the form, please send us an email listing the classes you are interested in, to the above email address. Payment instructions are given on the registration form.

• All trainees must be 2021 RIMAP members. (You can sign up for membership here)

• All classes are held at RIMAP Artifact Management Facility, on the campus of the Herreshoff Marine Museum, Bristol, RI. Details of parking and access will be supplied with confirmation of registration. Note that this location is not ADA compliant, and those with special needs should contact RIMAP for further information.

• Pre-registration is required no later than 3 days in advance. Confirmation and details will be sent by email.

• Covid safety: Masks and social spacing may still be required in June, and it is desirable that all RIMAP trainees have their vaccinations by then. The training space can be well ventilated.

• If you have any questions - please complete the ‘contact form’ at the bottom of this page, and we will reply as soon as we can. Thank you.

2021 Training Schedule class list

Saturday June 5 (9-4) - Introduction to Marine Archaeology ($100): Instructor Dr. Kathy Abbass. Describes how marine archaeologists work, including remote sensing, field methods, legal issues, field documentation, and RIMAP protocols. Dr. Abbass is the founder of RIMAP. This class is open to the general public and is required for RIMAP volunteer participation.

Sunday June 6 (9-12) - Site Mapping I ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass. Leads students in how to collect and interpret archaeological data. It introduces the selection of a site datum, installation of baselines, linear, circular, and pendulum searches. This is also a practicum recommended for those who participate in RIMAP fieldwork.

Sunday June 6 (1-4) - Site Mapping II ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass. Introduces the installation of grids and drawing from them. Both Site Mapping classes demonstrate how to interpret field data and create simple site maps. This is a practicum recommended for those interested in RIMAP fieldwork.

CANCELLED Saturday June 12 - (9-12) Museum Theory ($50): Instructor Elliott Caldwell. Management and ethics of artifact collections, and legal issues related to such institutions. Includes the theoretical and ethical foundations of how RIMAP cares for archaeological artifacts.

Saturday June 12 (1-4) Ship Construction for Archaeologists ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass. What marine archaeologists need to know about how boats are built to interpret historic shipwreck sites. Describes various types of watercraft found throughout time and around the world, and how these structures are the most complex machines built by man. Emphasis on the European ship building traditions of RIMAP's archaeological shipwreck studies.

Sunday June 13 (1-4) Measured Drawing for Archaeologists ($50): Instructor Charles Kovach. How to prepare professional quality drawings of archaeological specimens for general documentation and publication. Recommended for those interested to help with RIMAP's artifact collection. Commercial artist Kovach will lead the students in hands-on drawing exercises.

Saturday June 19 (9-12) Capt. Cook's Men and Ships in Rhode Island ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass. The man, his ship, European exploration, the American Revolution, and how all those come together in Rhode Island. Dr. Abbass will review the other ships associated with the great explorer, plus the many men who sailed with him, especially those found their ways to Rhode Island. Capt. Cook's story resonates in modern media and is the Star Trek origin myth.

Saturday June 19 (1-4) Archaeology and the Media ($50): Instructor Tim Labonte. What archaeologists need to know about the business of working with the media, and what the public needs to know about the interpretation of archaeological research as shown by the media. Owner of Stand Still Pictures, Labonte is a two time Emmy nominated and Associated Press Award winning producer and has created all RIMAP documentaries and short videos.

Sunday June 20 (1-4) Sharing Shipwrecks ($50): Instructor Joy Elvin. Interpreting submerged cultural resources to enjoy our underwater heritage using examples from around the world. How underwater parks and marine preserves protect fragile historic resources and enhance the public's interest in our maritime past, and the possibility for similar programs in Rhode Island.

Saturday June 26 (9-12) - Rhode Island in the Revolution ($50): Instructor Kathy Abbass. Why RI was pivotal to Patriot success in the Revolution, what happened here, and who was involved. Raids on land, conflicts on the water, and how divided loyalties of the local population (British sympathizers and Patriots supporting the American cause) sometimes fractured families. Special information about Revolutionary War locations and those now open to the public.

Saturday June 26 (1-4) Archaeology of the Classical Mediterranean ($50): Instructor Dr. Peter Nulton. The archaeological study of Greek and Roman civilizations from about 800 BCE to 400 CE. Peter discusses how archaeological studies enhance the standard understanding of Greek and Roman civilization that is usually based entirely on textual sources and how the field is changing in response to 21st-century archaeological issues.

Sunday June 27 (9-4) - Introduction to Marine Archaeology ($100): Instructor Kathy Abbass - Second offering. Open to the general public; required for RIMAP participation.