Dave McMahan, principal investigator for the Neva project, takes notes in a completed excavation block. (Photo credit: Gleb Mikhalev)
McMahan holds a brass strap buckle discovered during the excavation. (Credit: Dave McMahan, Sitka Historical Society)
Dave McMahan is the former state archaeologist. He speaks with KCAW’s Robert Woolsey about recent work by an international team of investigators excavating the survivor camp of the Neva, the most famous shipwreck in Russian-American History. The Neva was the first ship to make Russian voyages around the world and was lost in 1813 in a storm. Forty died and twenty six survived, camping on Kruzof Island for a month before being rescued. Together, the investigators were given a National Science Foundation grant to piece together the narrative of how the crew survived the winter.
See video for more (Credit: NSF/Dave McMahan)
