The other day I reflected on a child’s love of dinosaurs, and how they play such a fun part in our adolescence. Add a few more years to our imaginary child there, with his dinosaur toys under his bed and his books gathering dust in the bookshelves, and he’s moved on to more exciting discoveries: pirates!
Thanks much in part to a combination of Pirates of the Caribbean, Facebook’s own “Pirates versus Ninjas” war and the ongoing internet discussion as to who is better; Pirates or Ninjas (obviously Pirates), the ‘scurvy dogs of the sea’ have once again moved back in to mainstream culture.
So when I get to combine a discussion of pirates with a discussion on underwater archaeology, I know that all is well in the world.
An archaeology team from Indiana University has found the remains of Quedagh Merchant, a vessel known to have been captured by Kidd in the 17th century. Found in shallow waters just off the coast of the Dominican Republic the ship was believed to be once filled with valuable satins and silks, gold, silver and other East Indian merchandise.
"I've been on literally thousands of shipwrecks in my career," said Charles Beeker of IU. "This is one of the first sites I've been on where I haven't seen any looting. We've got a shipwreck in crystal clear, pristine water that's amazingly untouched. We want to keep it that way, so we made the announcement now to ensure the site's protection from looters."
Beeker also announced that they had been given permission to turn the wreck in to an underwater preserve for the public. The wreck, which lies just 70 feet off the coast of Catalina Island, is in less than 10 feet of water.
William ‘Captain’ Kidd has been the source of much historical discussion, focusing mainly on whether he was a privateer or a pirate. His somewhat famous trial in London saw him hung and gibbeted, left to rot over the Thames for two years. But evidence found in the 20th century undermines the guilty charge Kidd was given, on charge of murder and five counts of piracy.
IU Anthropologist Geoffrey Conrad said of the Quedagh Merchant that the men that Kidd had entrusted with the ship in the Caribbean port had looted the vessel, and then set it alight and adrift down the Rio Dulce. The location of the wreckage and formation and size of the cannons are both proof that the vessel discovered is indeed the Quedagh Merchant.
"All the evidence that we find underwater is consistent with what we know from historical documentation, which is extensive," Conrad said. "Through rigorous archeological investigations, we will conclusively prove that this is the Capt. Kidd shipwreck."
The site was investigated by the IU team at the request of the Dominican Republic's Oficina Nacional De Patrimonio Cultural Subacuático. "The site was initially discovered by a local prominent resident of Casa De Campo, who recognized the significance of the numerous cannons and requested the site be properly investigated," said ONPCS Technical Director Francis Soto. "So, I contacted IU."
Joshua Hill, a Geek’s-Geek from Melbourne, Australia, Josh is an aspiring author with dreams of publishing his epic fantasy, currently in the works, sometime in the next 5 years. A techie, nerd, sci-fi nut and bookworm.
