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Archaeology at NMB

Learn more about NMB’s land and underwater archaeology projects

Historical and archaeological research is fundamental to the mandate of the National Museum of Bermuda. For nearly 50 years NMB has supported and conducted local historical and archaeological research projects in partnership with local and overseas institutions

Current Projects

Harnessing the Power of Solar

In an effort to become more sustainable, NMB has turned to the power of the sun. As part of America’s Cup Land Rover Team BAR legacy project, Low Carbon and the Stempel Foundation have sponsored a large solar panel installation.

Low Carbon, the UK-based renewable energy investment company and official renewable energy partner to Land Rover BAR, together with the Stempel Foundation, long-term supporters of NMB, have funded the installation of solar panels to power the National Museum. The panels will generate more than 93,600kWh of clean energy per year, contributing to a significant portion of the Museum’s energy consumption needs and saving 43 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The installation was led by local renewable energy company BE Solar, where they installed 3,501 sq. ft. of solar panels along the Northwest Rampart that connects the old Casemate Barracks to the Commissioner’s House.

“We’re grateful to Land Rover Bar, Low Carbon, and the Stempel Foundation for their generosity. The importance of this installation can’t be underestimated. Not only is it helping to reduce our carbon footprint, and will help educate local young people, it’ll also significantly reduce our energy costs. We expect our electricity bills to fall by 20 percent, and this means we can dedicate more funding to cultural heritage preservation.”

-James Hallett, Chairman of National Museum of Bermuda, 2017

Learn more about the project and view the full release here.

Warwick Project

Between 2008 and 2012, the National Museum of Bermuda, working with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Centre of Maritime Archaeology and Conservation at Texas A&M, excavated and documented the remains of the Warwick, a 17^th century English galleon.

Located in shallow waters of Castle Harbour, the surviving structure is shedding new light on 17^th century ship construction, life aboard an armed merchant vessel, and the early colonial history of Bermuda and America.

The excavation and recording of the Warwick remains has ended, but analysis, research and publication on the finds continue, while the artifacts are conserved and managed by the Museum.

Casemates Restoration

Since 2005, the Museum has been leading a major effort with a team of volunteers to renovate and restore the derelict Casemates and adjacent buildings. In 2009, via an agreement with Government and the West End Development Corporation, Casemates was incorporated into the Museum property. Once restored, the historic building will be used, among other things, for Museum exhibitions, offices, and storage space, in addition to housing a research institute.

The project is currently in the pre-restoration phase, and hundreds of volunteers have helped with demolition, hauling debris, and cleaning the property. Locally based companies have given the project a massive boost to the work by asking staff to team up and donate a day of hard labour to the cause. A big thank you to all our volunteers!

Coming soon: Virtually navigate Casemates and the hidden tunnels

In 2007, a team led by Dr. Wolfgang Neubauer of the Vienna Institute for Archaeological Science, University of Vienna recorded Casemate Barracks with a RIEGL LMS Z420i 3-D laser scanner. The machine recorded the buildings and the surrounding area to an accuracy of less than half an inch.

Homes for Longtails

Coastal development and natural events such as hurricanes and the associated storm surge have caused cliff collapses and in turn, the destruction of the natural nesting holes used by our feathered friend, the Bermuda Longtail, otherwise known as the White-tailed Tropicbird, Phaethon lepturus catesbyi.

The Museum launched the project, The Longtail Residence Club, in Autumn 2009 with the intention of constructing low-cost housing for the neglected minority in local waters. Rows of oceanfront pre-fab nesting domes or ‘condos’ were built and each year, volunteers erected new homes on the cliff tops of the Museum Ramparts.

We built a rookery on Bastion E of the Museum’s Ramparts and work with the Government of Bermuda Department of Conservation Services to monitor the birds.

If you would like to donate to creating habitats for this ancient heritage visitor to Bermuda, please contact advancement@nmb.bm.

Check out the exhibit, Longtail: A Bermuda Resident on display at Commissioner’s House.