Secrets of the Deep: The Archaeology of the

Wickedest City in the WorldJulie Thomas2011 Underwater Archaeology Field School, Session 9Ecomuseu, Cap de Cavalleria, Santa Teresa, Menorca

Port Royal, Jamaica

Images from http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/jm.htm

Port Royal• Largest English trading

port in the New World.

• Size: 51 Acres (21 Hectares), 2000 buildings, 6500 – 8000 residents.

• Known for its affluence, taverns, goldsmiths, artisans and merchants.

• Center for Caribbean privateers/pirates of the 17th Century.

• Described as the Sodom of the New World.

Images from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/archhist.htm

1692 Earthquake• June 7th, 1692

• Two thirds (33 acres) sank vertically into the ocean.

• 2000 people killed instantly.

• Ships within the harbor washed in with tidal wave.

• Only sunken city in the New World.

• Catastrophic site.

Images from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/archhist.htm

The Excavations• 1959: Edward Link, National

Geographic Society and the Smithsonian.

• 1965: Robert Marx and the Institute of Jamaican Culture.

• 1981-1990: Donny Hamilton, Texas A&M University, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, and Institute of Nautical Archaeology.

• Completely excavated five buildings.

• Ships, structures and thousands of artifacts found in situ.

Images from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/archhist.htm

Recovered Artifacts

Images from http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/archhist.htm and http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/slipware/index.html

Conclusions:

• Underwater sites provide excellent preservation and context.

• Proper excavation, recording, and conservation techniques essential.

• Exhibition style and publishing necessary.

Bibliography• http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/slipware/slip-history.html

accessed 11 Nov 2011.

• http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/slipware/index.html accessed 9 Nov 2011.

• http://www.cindyvallar.com/havens4.html accessed 11 Nov 2011.

• http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/ accessed 9 Nov 2011.

• http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/archhist.htm accessed 8 Nov 2011.

• http://nautarch.tamu.edu/portroyal/CHAMBER/Index.htm accessed 8 Nov 2011.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Royal#cite_note-HCinternational-2008-09-08-3 accessed 8 Nov 2011.

• http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/caribb/jm.htm, accessed 12 Nov 2011.