Archeologist

Early interest in ancient artifacts led to a professor’s suggestion

GB was born in Columbia, S.C.; father was an English professor and popular historian; mother edited anthologies of poems; GB grew up in Annapolis where his father was a professor at the Naval Academy

EARLY INTERESTS

Due to his early interest in archeology, GB read books on excavation of ancient artifacts.

COLLEGE 

GB studied classical archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania. 

MILITARY SERVICE PROVIDES A VALUABLE, CAREER RELATED EXPERIENCE 

He joined the Navy and served as a lieutenant in a communications unit during the Korean War. Thus GB felt comfortable at sea.

SUGGESTION FROM A COLLEGE PROFESSOR

Following his military service, GB contacted a college professor regarding his continuing interest in archeology. The professor suggested that GB look for sponsorship of a proper excavation of ancient artifacts on the ocean floor. This would involve scuba diving, which GB had never tried (despite his service in the Navy) but signed up for a diving course and soon was deep sea diving in the Mediterranean Sea as part of his first archeology project. 

ARCHEOLOGY SUCCESS

During his long career as an archeologist, GB excavated dozens of shipwrecks within the waters of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. He found bronze ingots more than 3,000 years old and later, wooden fragments that solved mysterites about shipbuilding from the time of Homer’s “Odyssey.” 

ACADEMIC SUCCESS LED TO PERSONAL BUSINESS SUCCESS

GB obtained his PH.D. from U Penn and became a professor there but left to form an independent institute devoted to nautical archeology, which Texas A&M offered to house and make him and his colleagues members of the faculty, from which he eventually retired.