Nobody said it was going to be easy.

With the commencement of a bonafide hunt for the Gaspee off Namquid Point last year to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the burning of the British schooner, excitement was generated like never before to see exactly what, if anything, remains of the ship in the shallow waters just off our shores.

The legend of the Gaspee, and the prospect that anything of the ill-fated vessel could be remain to be found, has been a subject of intrigue and (for some) obsession for many years. And although last summer didn’t reveal an immediate, jaw-dropping revelation, sometimes it is that enthusiasm and public interest which can provide the boost (emotionally, and financially) that is so beneficial towards archeologists being able to continue the search.

This search should never be seen as anything besides a process. Professional and amateur team members must take painstaking precautions not to potentially damage artifacts while combing over huge swaths of ocean floor, making use of strategic a rare tide cycles, all the while realizing that the search may come up empty handed. Nonetheless, it is a search that is worth the effort, time, and funding, as it is a search that seeks a sort of resolution to one of our nation’s earliest significant acts of rebellion, and one of the sparks of our eventual Revolution.

The team, led by Dr. Kathy Abbass, deserves commendation for their methodical, skeptical, and thorough approach to this undertaking, which could easily be overtaken by unwarranted hype and wishful emotions. If you’ve talked with Dr. Abbass, you know that isn’t going to happen on her watch.

If you have the opportunity to go out and watch the team conduct their field work, we ask that you do so respectfully, but we would also recommend it. So often the field of archaeology is relegated to over-dramatized portrayals in film and print (Nicholas Cage, we’re looking at you). But the actual work of archaeology is far less exciting and far more what we’re seeing unfold in Warwick right now. It’s a slow, careful, and often times uneventful process. But that necessary caution may yet unfold something extraordinary, and that makes the whole thing pretty special to behold, especially so close to home.

Mysteries and discoveries yet unknown still exist out there, and with any luck, we’ll be delighted to report on something truly incredible some time in the not-so-distant future.