Bradley A. Rodgers
Professor
Ph.D., Union Institute
Phone: 252-328-1964
Office: Eller House 100
Fax: 252-328-6788
Email: rodgersb@ecu.edu
Rodgers specializes in Nautical Archaeology, Conservation Science, Ship construction and the transition of Sail to Steam, Wood to Iron hulls, and Great Lakes history and archaeology. His latest book, The Archaeologist’s Manual for Conservation, 2004, simplifies non-toxic conservation procedures, to help bring conservation back into the archaeological field. In this light Rodgers presently directs, and has designed, and built the ECU conservation laboratory, while continuing to consult nationally and internationally on various conservation projects. Rodgers has conserved artifacts from both land and water sites dated from the 16 th century onward including cannon, anchors, wood, organics, and smaller composite artifacts. He has also devised and built many of the specialized devices and equipment used at the laboratory and is currently reviewing the possibility of recommending (and creating) archaeological conservation as a specialty within the archaeological field. Rodgers has directed the preponderance of field projects for ECU in the past 20 years. These projects range geographically from Midway Island in the Pacific to Bermuda in the Atlantic and from the Caribbean Sea to Lake Superior. He represented ECU on the team that discovered the remains of the USS Saginaw at Kure Atoll (2003) and is presently concluding a two-decade research survey of major 19th century vessel types found beneath the Great Lakes. Publications to date include his first book, Guardian of the Great Lakes, 1996, as well as numerous international articles, book chapters, and site reports. Dr. Rodgers and colleague Dr. Corbin are completing a manuscript concerning the Montana, largest of the U.S. stern wheeled western river steamers. He teaches maritime history, conservation, and field schools.
Selected Publications:
The Archaeologist's Manual for Conservation, A Guide to Non-Toxic, Minimal Intervention Artifact Stabilization. New York: Kluwer/Plenum Publishers, 2004.
Guardian of the Great Lakes: The U.S. Paddle Frigate Michigan. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1996.
“Ruling Theories Linger: Questioning the Identity of the Beaufort Inlet Shipwreck” (With Wayne Lusardi and Nathan Richards). International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 34 (2005): 24-37
“Mud box - filled with stone: the wreck of the scow schooner Dan Hayes” (with Annalies Corbin). International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 32 (2003): 210 - 224.
“2002 Shipwreck in a Swamp: the Burrough's Site at Edenton, N. Carolina, USA” (with Annalies Corbin). International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 31(2002): 228 - 236 (with Annalies Corbin).
Courses Offered:
HIST 5520: Maritime History of the Western World Since 1815
HIST 5530: Field School in Maritime History and Underwater Research
HIST 6840: Conservation of Material from an Underwater Environment
HIST 6850: Field Research in Maritime History
