Della graduated from the University of West Florida with a BA in Anthropology and an MA in Historical Archaeology. She also has an MS in International Relations from Troy University, and a PhD in Anthropology from Florida State University. Della is the Northwest Regional Director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, based in Pensacola, Florida.

Why I got into underwater archaeology . . .

I knew I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was quite young and was fortunate to live in Pensacola where the University of West Florida has a top archaeology program. While still an undergraduate I was part of the University's first underwater archaeology class and field school taught by Dr Roger Smith, Florida's State Underwater Archaeologist. The shipwreck we investigated fascinated me like nothing else had and caused me to focus on nautical archaeology for the rest of my academic career. I began to work for the State of Florida in 1992 during the Pensacola Shipwreck Survey and was part of the team that discovered and excavated the 16th-century Spanish Emanuel Point Ship ( http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/archaeology/projects/shipwrecks/emanuelpoint/  I continued to work for the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research’s Underwater Archaeology Team ( http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/archaeology/underwater/ ) for the next decade where my responsibilities included managing the Underwater Archaeological Preserve program ( http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/bar/uap ).

Favorite Quote

"Be good and you will be lonesome." - Mark Twain

About Florida Public Archaeology Network

The Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) is a new direction for protection and preservation of cultural resources, and for involving the public in the study of our shared past. Regional Centers around Florida serve as clearinghouses for information; as places for learning, training, and study; and as headquarters for public participation in archaeology and historic preservation. Each Regional Center is staffed by a Director/Public Archaeologist, Outreach Coordinator, and other staff who are committed to assisting Florida’s citizens and visitors to discover, understand, and protect archaeological resources. Regional Centers develop specific programs to promote the area’s archaeology and history, to encourage heritage tourism, and to advance public appreciation of archaeological resources around the state. Centers also assist the Florida Division of Historical Resources in its training and education programs, and work with local governments to develop archaeological resource protection and historic preservation ordinances. ( www.flpublicarchaeology.org )

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