Dive In: Underwater Archaeology at NMB

Mary Celestia, Paddle Wheel Steamer Built in the 1860s

Date shipwrecked: 1864
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Used as a blockade-runner during the American Civil War, the Mary Celestia struck a reef due to pilot error. In 1983, Dr. Gordon Watts brought his ECU field school to Bermuda to survey the three exposed sections of the Mary Celestia structure: the bow, engineering space, and stern. This marked the beginning of Dr. Watt’s 30–plus year relationship with Bermuda.

A report on Dr. Watt’s work can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History and The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration:

Watts, G.P. (1993). “A Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 12-57.

Watts, G.P. (1988). “Bermuda and the American Civil War: a reconnaissance investigation of archival and submerged cultural resources”. In The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, Vol 17, Issue 2, pp 159-171.

Nola/Montana, Paddle Wheel Steamer Built in 1863

Date shipwrecked: 1863
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Wrecked on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic en route to employment as a Confederate blockade-runner, Nola was investigated during the 1985 and 1986 field school seasons, which focused on documenting the exposed remains. The site was mapped and detailed drawings and photographs were used to record design and construction details. No excavation was necessary.

A report on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History & The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration:

Watts, G.P. (1993). “A Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 12-57.

Watts, G.P. (1988). “Bermuda and the American Civil War: a reconnaissance investigation of archival and submerged cultural resources”. In The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, Vol 17, Issue 2, pp 159-171.

Underwater Construction Features at Dockyard

Archaeologist(s): Richard A. Gould
Institution(s): Brown University

Part of a larger investigation into British defences at Bermuda, this project examined unusual rubble features in the water below the ramparts of the Dockyard fortifications. In 1985 a preliminary reconnaissance of the area was carried out and a systematic underwater survey followed in 1986, which mapped two large underwater structures along the western side of Ireland Island North and several embayments at Moresby Plain.

In 1987 work continued on the documentation of the Moresby Plain features. In 1988 the volume of stone in the Dockyard buildings was estimated in order to compare it to the area of quarried stone. Work was carried out by Earthwatch volunteers under the direction of Richard A. Gould, assisted in 1988 by Nan Godet of the Museum.

Dockyard Slave Hulk, 19th century

Archaeologist(s): F.G. Aldsworth and Richard A Gould
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB) & Brown University

The excavation sought to locate and examine the remains of a hulk noted on a Dockyard plan of 1829, which was used to house slaves during the construction of the Dockyard. The vessel was subsequently buried in the landfill of the present wharf, but its general location could be surmised from the early watercolours of the area. Work was carried out on the southwest side of the present Camber, and the remains of a wooden ship were discovered and recorded, although precise identification remains uncertain.

A report on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Aldsworth, F.G. (1989). “Excavations at the Former Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda: a Nineteenth Century Slave Hulk”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 1, pp 109-130.

HMS Vixen, Royal Navy iron twin-screwed gunboat, 1864

Date shipwrecked: 1896
Archaeologist(s): Richard A Gould, Brown University
Institutions(s): Brown University

HMS Vixen, the only known surviving example in the world of a first-generation iron-clad ram, was sunk intentionally across Chub Cut Channel to act as a strategic blockship to prevent attacks from incoming torpedo boats. The wreck was examined non-destructively during three field seasons, which entailed measuring, mapping, and creating a detailed deck plan and port and starboard elevations. Archival studies were conducted in Bermuda, England, Canada, and the United States. The project was assisted by a research grant from Earthwatch.

A report on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Gould, R. (1989). “H.M.S. Vixen: An Early Ironclad Ram at Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 1 pp 43-80.

HM Floating Dock Bermuda, 1868

Date shipwrecked: 1908
Archaeologist(s): Richard A Gould and Donna J. Souza 
Institution(s): Brown University

HM Floating Dock Bermuda, a miracle of Victorian engineering at the time of her launch in 1868, ran aground at Spanish Point while being towed away for scrapping in 1908. The examination of this site was part of a larger project headed by Richard Gould of Brown University, and work began during the 1986 to 1991 field seasons using Earthwatch and Museum volunteers to record the overall dimensions and condition of the wreck, together with photographic documentation.

In 1992, volunteers from BSAC produced a comprehensive site plan and continued with photographic documentation. In 1993 the project was manned by volunteers from MAHS and produced detailed engineering drawings of various components, a site plan, and a partial reconstruction.

A report of this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History.

Gould, R. A. and D.J. Souza. (1995). “History and Archaeology of HM Floating Dock Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology of Maritime History, Vol 7 pp 157-186.

San Pedro, (IMHA 1) Spanish nao, c.1583

Date shipwrecked: 1596
Archaeologist(s): Steven and Cathryn Hoyt
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB)

Discovered in 1951 and extensively worked by Teddy Tucker and Robert Canton, the site was reexamined and excavated by Museum staff as part of a project on pre-colonial Bermuda. The work was funded by a grant from the Bermuda Government Ministry of Education and Culture. The site was mapped, and items located on the surface with a metal detector were recovered. Subsurface finds were mapped and left in situ. A test trench was laid across the site but no hull remains were found.

Analysis of the artifacts found on this wreck can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Armitage, P. (1989). “Ship Rats, Salted Meat and Tortoises: Selected Aspects of Maritime Life in the ‘Great Age of Sail’ (1500-1800s)”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 1 pp 143-159.

Hoyt, C.A. (1990). “Bermuda in the Age of Exploration”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 2 pp 25-60.

New Old Spaniard (NOS, Lumberyard Wreck, IMHA 2), Dutch construction c.1560- 1580

Date shipwrecked: 1620 and 1640
Archaeologist(s): Cathryn and Steven Hoyt
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB)

The site was previously examined by Teddy Tucker and a team from the Smithsonian Institution in 1961 and then reexamined by the Museum in 1986. The overburden was removed and the surviving hull structure, design, and construction details were recorded and mapped with the help of East Carolina University field school students. Artifacts were collected to facilitate the dating of the wreck.

Articles on the site and analysis of some of the material can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History.

Armitage, P. (1989). “Ship Rats, Salted Meat and Tortoises: Selected Aspects of Maritime Life in the ‘Great Age of Sail’ (1500-1800s)”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 1 pp 143-159.

Watts, G.P. (1993). “A Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 12-57.

Systematic Shipwreck Survey

Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Survey work in 1988 concentrated on the reefs northeast of Chub Heads using tow boarding and a proton procession magnetometer. Possible sites were examined and identified, ranges were taken, and the cultural and structural material at each site was described. Twenty-eight sites were identified, the majority of them 18th century or later.

The 1992 work used a Differential GPS to generate accurate positioning data. Thirty-three sites were identified, examined, and documented. The survey resumed in the fall of 1997. Many new sites were discovered and several previously documented wrecks were relocated.

Information on this survey can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Watts, G.P. (1993). “A Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 12-57.

Western Ledge Reef Wreck (IMHA 3 / La Viga/ Santa Lucia), Spanish nao, c. 1570s

Date shipwrecked: 1584
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

The wreck, thought to be of a Spanish dispatch vessel, was discovered in 1964 by Douglas Roberts, Dick Bouchard, and Kenneth Stark. Salvage occurred over 20 years by Brian Malpas and Donald Canton, followed by Teddy Tucker and Mendel Peterson. The site was rediscovered during a survey of submerged cultural resources in 1988 by ECU and the Museum. The extensive archaeological investigation was directed by Gordon P. Watts Jr., with a team of professional nautical archaeologists from Spain, Canada, and the United States, assisted by East Carolina University graduate students.

In 1989, 1990, and 1991, the hull was recorded, excavated, and recovered in its entirety, including all associated material culture, botanical and faunal remains.

Reports on the excavation and associated material can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History and International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration.

Watts, G.P. (1993). “A Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 12-57.

Morris, J.W. (1993). “The Preliminary Analysis of the 16th Century Vessel Remains Recovered from the Western Ledge Reef Wreck, Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 58-69.

Franklin, M. (1993). “Description of Artifact Assemblage Archaeologically Recovered from the Western Ledge Reef Wreck, Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 5, pp 70-83.

Watts, G.P. (1993). “The Western Ledge Reef Wreck: A Preliminary Report on Investigation of the Remains of a 16th Century Spanish Shipwreck in Bermuda”. In International Journal of Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, Vol 22, Issue, 2 pp 103-124.

HMS Irresistible, English warship, 1842

Date shipwrecked: 1891
Archaeologist(s): Eric Sharp
Institution(s): Parks Canada

Launched as a sailing vessel in 1859 and almost immediately converted to steam, HMS Irresistible was soon obsolete. By 1868 she was serving as a hulk in Bermuda, and in 1891 she was sold to Pearman Watlington and Co. for breaking up. She was stripped of her fittings and copper sheathing and sunk with explosives near Marshalls Island.

In 1991, a team from the Canadian Armed Forces under archaeologist Eric Sharp of Parks Canada investigated the wreck for the Museum. Four cannon, ballast stone, and a number of fireboxes were found. A site plan was made and the cannon was measured and studied in-situ. Three of the cannon were raised and are on display at NMB.

El Galgo (IMHA 4), Spanish patache

Date shipwrecked: 1639
Archaeologist(s): Jonathan Bream and Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB) & East Carolina University

This site, possibly that of the Spanish tender El Galgo, wrecked in 1639, was first salvaged by Edmund Downing in 1965 over three years. In 1991, a non-disturbance survey was carried out by a team, led by archaeologist Jonathan Bream, which mapped and contoured the site and searched for timbers and artifacts. In September 1992 the wreck site was excavated by the Museum and graduate students from East Carolina University. Three test trenches were excavated, recovering 205 artifacts that were brought to the Museum for inventory and conservation.

Stonewall Wreck

Date shipwrecked: c. 1685
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

This as-yet-unidentified site was discovered by Teddy Tucker in the 1950s and partially excavated in 1975 by Edwin Dethlefsen and a field school from Franklin Pierce College. The remains were reexamined by East Carolina University in the 1990s after a preliminary examination of the site was conducted during the Systematic Shipwreck Survey in 1992. During the 1994-96 field seasons, graduate students in the ECU program systematically excavated and documented the surviving hull remains. In 2012, Dr. Watts with Dr. Rod Mather, and Dr. Jim Allan uncovered part of the timbers to complete a photomosaic.

Reports on these projects can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History and International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration.

Dethlefsen, E.S., E. Davidson, and D.L. Buchman. (1977) “The Stonewall wreck”. In International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, vol 6.4 pp 315-329.

Dethlefsen, E. (1978). “Further notes on the Stonewall wreck: a 17th century Spanish vessel wrecked of Bermuda”. In International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and Underwater Exploration, vol 7.02 pp 159-161.

Watts G.P. (2003). “A Second Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 14 pp 61-147.

18th Century Wreck, collier

Date shipwrecked: c. 1775
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU) & Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB)

This wreck site was located during a remote sensing and visual survey of the reefs in 1992. During the 1993 field season, the extremities of the wreck were cleaned and documented by staff and students of the Program in Nautical History and Marine Archaeology at ECU. Artifacts recovered were recorded and photographed in situ. Although this wreck has not yet been identified, it has provided valuable information regarding the construction of civilian vessels of the 18th century.

A report on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Watts, G.P. and M.C. Krivor (1998). “Investigation of an 18th-century English Shipwreck”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 10 pp 69-80.

HMS Cerberus, English frigate 5th rate 32-gun ship, 1779

Date shipwrecked: 1783
Archaeologist(s): Wayne Walker
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB)

HMS Cerberus, part of the British presence in Bermuda during the American Revolutionary War, struck a reef while leaving Castle Harbour, and went on to strike a second reef before filling with water and sinking. In 1993, a team from the Museum conducted a nondisturbance survey, mapping the visible wreckage which included, iron ballast bars, copper sheathing, and musket balls. No artifacts were removed.

A report on this project can be found in Volume 8 of Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Walker, W. (1996). “HMS Cerberus and the Royal Naval Dockyard”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 8, pp 30-40.

L’Herminie, French double banked frigate, 1828

Date shipwrecked: 1838
Archaeologist(s): Sarah Waters 
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU) & the Maritime Archaeology and Historical Society (MAHS)

On route to France from Mexico, in a state of disrepair, the L’Herminie ran on to the reefs at Chub Head in 1838. Jean Archie, Harry Cox, Teddy Tucker, and the Smithsonian recovered artifacts during the 1950s and 60s. In 1992 during the Systematic Shipwreck Survey, a preliminary examination of the visible remains of the wreck was conducted and in 1995 further examination of the wreck was carried out by ECU graduate students and MAHS volunteers. The site was photographed and a preliminary site plan was made, together with drawings of the exposed capstan and carronade.

Information on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Watts G.P. (2003). “A Second Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 14 pp 61-147.

Hunter Galley, Bermuda sloop, 1747

Date shipwrecked: 1752
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr., East Carolina University (ECU)
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Discovered in the 1950s by Teddy Tucker, this site may be that of the Bermuda-built sloop Hunter Galley, which traded between Bermuda and the British North American colonies and was wrecked at Hog Fish Cut in 1752 during a gale. The site was investigated and broadly mapped by Edwin Dethlefsen of Franklin Pierce College in 1975. In 1998, the surviving wreck remains, including disarticulated timbers, were documented in further detail by Gordon Watts and a team from East Carolina University. Subsequent analysis of wood samples confirmed that the remains are those of a Bermuda cedar vessel—the only known example to have been located and archaeologically recorded.

Information on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Watts G.P. (2003). “A Second Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 14 pp 61-147.

‘Manilla Wreck’, Dutch Sailing Vessel

Date shipwrecked: mid 18th century
Archaeologist(s): Clifford E. Smith Jr.
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB)

The identity of the ship associated with this site is uncertain, but after archaeological investigation, it is thought to be a Dutch ship involved in the slave trade as an armed escort. In 1998 interns and volunteers from the Maritime Archaeology Historical Society (MAHS) under the direction of Clifford Smith, conducted a pre-disturbance survey. The site features and all visible artifacts were mapped and recorded. Later in the 1998 season, a team from East Carolina University shot a photo-mosaic of the site.

Phase II of the investigation was carried out in 1999 with interns and MAHS volunteers. A visual search of the area outside the site was carried out, and a test trench was excavated across the site. No vessel remains were discovered.

Reports on this project can be found in the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History and MARITimes:

Smith, C.E. (1999). “The 1998 archaeological Investigation of the ‘Manilla Wreck’ Placed into a Historical Perspective”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, vol 11, pp 95-107.

Smith, C.E. (1998). “The Manilla Wreck”. In MARITimes, Vol 11, No 3 pp 11-13.

Smith, C.E. (1999). “Season’s activities increase fourfold”. In MARITimes, Vol 12, No 3, pp 6-7.

Pollockshields, steamer, 1890

Date shipwrecked: 1915
Archaeologist(s): Clifford E. Smith Jr. and Richard A. Gould
Institution(s): Bermuda Maritime Museum (now NMB) & Brown University

Laden with a cargo that included live ammunition, the Pollockshields ran on the reef on 7 September 1915. The superstructure of the ship, visible from shore, was eventually demolished but the site remained littered with debris. The archaeological investigation was undertaken in 1999 at the request of the Bermuda Police Service, to ascertain the quantity and types of munitions exposed at the site.

A Phase I non-disturbance survey of the site was carried out with the assistance of a team of British Army divers, and the entire site was mapped. Earthwatch volunteers and Museum interns under the direction of Richard A. Gould photographed the major features of the wreck and the exposed munitions.

Information on this project can be found in MARITimes:

Smith, C.E. (1999). “Season’s activities increase fourfold”. In MARITimes, Vol 12, No 3, pp 6-7.

North Carolina, English iron barque, 1877

Date shipwrecked: 1880
Archaeologist(s): Richard A. Gould, Donna J. Souza, and Stephen Lubkemann
Institution(s): Brown University 

The North Carolina was en route to Liverpool from Baltimore with a general cargo when she struck the reef on January 1, 1880, and sank during salvage efforts several days later. The site was mapped and measured in the 1999 field season and the following year, archival research was carried out and the wreck was examined to test various hypotheses about how she sank. Feature drawings and photographs were made along with descriptive notes. All archaeological research was non-destructive and any artifacts moved or removed from the site were replaced in their original locations after inspection. Volunteers from Earthwatch assisted with the project.

Information on this project can be found in the MARITimes and the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Gould, R.A. and D. Souza. (1999). “Riddle of the North Carolina”. In MARITimes, Vol 12, No 3, pp 8-9.

Gould, R.A. (2002). “The Wreck of the Barque North Carolina, New Year’s Day, 1880”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 13, pp 28-56.

Iron Knee Shipwreck

Date shipwrecked: 1820-1840s
Archaeologist(s): Gordon P. Watts Jr.
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Preliminary examination took place during the Systematic Shipwreck Survey in 1997, followed by a more comprehensive investigation and mapping of the wreck starting in 1999. The wreck site is named for the cast iron knees which litter the site—an unusual feature in composite ships of the period, which typically used wrought iron. The aim of the investigation was to explore the transition from wood to iron in shipbuilding.

Information on this project can be found in Volume 14 of the Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History:

Watts G.P. (2003). “A Second Decade of Shipwreck Research in Bermuda”. In Bermuda Journal of Archaeology and Maritime History, Vol 14 pp 61-147.

Norrköping and Emily A. Davies, steel and iron-clad ships, late 1860s

Date shipwrecked: c. 1930s
Archaeologist(s): Bradley Rogers, Nathan Richards, and Calvin Mires
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

Both of these ships ran into trouble at sea in heavy weather and were towed into Bermuda, Emily A. Davies in December 1901, and Norrköping in February 1908. Both served as coal lighters and hulks before being towed to Black Bay and abandoned. Over a two-week period, field school students from ECU recorded the differing construction methods and materials of the two vessels—Norrköping was of wrought iron and Emily A. Davies of steel. The goal was to chronicle the transition from iron and steel in ship construction and to ascertain if careful archaeological study can shed light on the ferrous shipbuilding tradition.

Information on this project can be found in MARITimes:

Rodgers, B.A., N.R. Richards, and T.R. Hicks. (2008). “Skeletons in Black Bay”. In MARITimes, Vol 21 (No 3) pp 14-16.

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.

Iron Plate Wreck, possibly British merchant vessel

Date shipwrecked: c. 1830s
Archaeologist(s): James Allan and Roderick Mather
Institution(s): University of St. Mary’s California (SMC) & University of Rhode Island (URI)

James Allan (SMC) and Roderick Mather (URI) excavated the hull and mapped the stern, amidships, and bow sections of the ‘Iron Plate Wreck’ with a group of field school students. The wreck is named after the cargo of iron plates it was carrying, which dominate the site. Archival research indicates that the wreck is the remains of the 401-ton British merchant vessel Enchantress, which was carrying Irish emigrants to New York met its end on the reef off Chub Heads in 1837.

Reports on this project can be found in MARITimes.

Allan, J. (2010). “Field school on Iron Plate wreck”. In MARITimes, Vol 23, No 1, pp 27-28.

Schaeffer, R. (2010). “An Iron Plate education”. In MARITimes, Vol 23, No 2, pp 19-21.

Chalfant, W. and J. Daley (2012). “Iron Plate still a riddle”. MARITimes, Vol 25, No 1, pp 26-27.

Casavant, A., J. Glickman, and E. Heidtman. (2013). “Is ‘Iron Plate’ the Enchantress”. MARITimes, Vol 26, No 1, pp 11-12.

Mathers, Emma. (2015). “Monitoring wreck site coral disease”. MARITimes, Vol 28, No 1, pp 10.

Morgan’s Island Wreck

Date shipwrecked: possibly 17th century
Archaeologist(s): Bradley A. Rodgers and Jason M Raupp
Institution(s): East Carolina University (ECU)

In May 2017, Dr. Bradley Rogers and Dr. Jason Raupp along with a field school of students from East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies mapped numerous exposed scantling timbers in the shallow water near Morgan’s Island, Ely’s Harbour. 

Believed to be a 17th century Dutch pinnace, the wreck possibly dates to a little-understood time period between the 16th and 17th century and was heavily salvaged as evidence by extensive chop marks visible on the timbers. The wreck may represent a vessel type commonly used by 17th century pirates and may be one of the earliest Dutch wrecks in the Americas, the earliest colonial-built ship in the Americas, and the earliest privateer/pirate vessel yet located in the Americas. 

Ongoing research will increase our understanding of early colonial period economics, salvage, piracy, privateering, and wrecking and add to our knowledge of colonial island life in the 17th century.  

Rogers, B (2018). “Morgan’s Island Wreck may be 1619 Pirate Ship”. In MARITimes Vol 31, p12-13