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    Keith - The Molasses Reef Wreck

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    The Molasses Reef Wreck is the oldest shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere, located off the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was originally discovered in 1976 by treasure hunters but was later fully excavated by archaeologists between 1982-1988. The excavation recovered over 10 tons of artifacts, including ceramics, cannons, guns and other armaments. Analysis of the artifacts and hull remains indicated the ship was a medium-sized Spanish vessel from the late 15th to early 16th century. All recovered artifacts were returned to the Turks & Caicos Islands where they now form the core collection of the Turks & Caicos National Museum.

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    Keith - The Molasses Reef Wreck

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    utvrda
    35 views3 pages
    The Molasses Reef Wreck is the oldest shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere, located off the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was originally discovered in 1976 by treasure hunters but was later fully excavated by archaeologists between 1982-1988. The excavation recovered over 10 tons of artifacts, including ceramics, cannons, guns and other armaments. Analysis of the artifacts and hull remains indicated the ship was a medium-sized Spanish vessel from the late 15th to early 16th century. All recovered artifacts were returned to the Turks & Caicos Islands where they now form the core collection of the Turks & Caicos National Museum.

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    The Molasses Reef Wreck is the oldest shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere, located off the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was originally discovered in 1976 by treasure hunters but was later fully excavated by archaeologists between 1982-1988. The excavation recovered over 10 tons of artifacts, including ceramics, cannons, guns and other armaments. Analysis of the artifacts and hull remains indicated the ship was a medium-sized Spanish vessel from the late 15th to early 16th century. All recovered artifacts were returned to the Turks & Caicos Islands where they now form the core collection of the Turks & Caicos National Museum.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    35 views3 pages

    Keith - The Molasses Reef Wreck

    Uploaded by

    utvrda
    The Molasses Reef Wreck is the oldest shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere, located off the Turks & Caicos Islands. It was originally discovered in 1976 by treasure hunters but was later fully excavated by archaeologists between 1982-1988. The excavation recovered over 10 tons of artifacts, including ceramics, cannons, guns and other armaments. Analysis of the artifacts and hull remains indicated the ship was a medium-sized Spanish vessel from the late 15th to early 16th century. All recovered artifacts were returned to the Turks & Caicos Islands where they now form the core collection of the Turks & Caicos National Museum.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 3

    82 The Molasses Reef Wreck Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk

    The Molasses Reef Wreck

    Donald H. Keith
    Archaeologist
    Ships of Discovery
    USA

    Named for the reef in the Turks & Caicos Islands on which
    it was found, the Molasses Reef wreck is thought to be the
    oldest shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere.
    Complete excavation of the site produced Spanish ceramics
    typical of the late 15th- and early 16th-centuries as well as
    early-style wrought-iron, breech-loading ordnance. Most of
    the hull of the ship had disintegrated in the shallow, wave-
    swept waters of the reef, but about 2% remained trapped
    beneath the stone ballast. In a better state of preservation
    were the ship’s armaments: swivel guns, cannons, shoulder Figure 1: Location of the Turks & Caicos Islands with approximate
    arms, crossbows, swords, shot and grenades. Following positions of late 15th- and early 16th-century shipwrecks
    cleaning, conservation and analysis in the US, the entire mentioned in historical references
    artifact collection was returned to the Islands where it forms
    the nuclear exhibit of the Turks & Caicos National Museum. Treasure Seekers” showed up claiming it had “inherited” the
    site from the original discoverers — who had been jailed in
    the US for poaching on another treasure hunter’s site. The
    Discovery of the Site government gave Nomad permission to cruise its waters and
    to “look but don’t touch,” but forbade it to visit Molasses
    Like many other Caribbean shipwreck sites, the Molasses
    Reef. After a few weeks, when it became apparent that not
    Reef wreck was discovered serendipitously by treasure-
    only had Nomad been indiscriminately hauling up cannons,
    hunters rather than by archaeologists. Although fishermen
    anchors and other artifacts from various sites at random
    from the Caicos Islands, who free-dive for conch and lobster
    and without permission, but also had attempted to steal
    must have passed through the site many times over the years,
    artifacts from the Molasses Reef Wreck, the government had
    its flattened condition, camouflaged by nearly five centuries
    had enough of treasure hunters. It revoked the Caribbean
    of marine growth prevented them from recognizing it as
    Ventures salvage permit and invited archaeologists from the
    the remains of a shipwreck. In 1976 a pair of underwater
    Institute to excavate the Molasses Reef wreck.
    explorers methodically searching Molasses Reef for
    salvageable material spotted the site and realized that it was
    an early shipwreck. They stayed long enough to illegally
    raise a few artifacts, then returned to Miami. Excavation
    Four years later in 1980, under the name of “Caribbean The reef’s remote location, more than 26 km from the nearest
    Ventures,” the men applied to the government of the Turks inhabited island, meant that a sea-going vessel would be
    & Caicos, a British Crown Colony, seeking permission to necessary to work the site. Captain Sumner Gerard made his
    prospect for and salvage shipwrecks on the Caicos Bank. Miami-based 33 m research vessel Morning Watch available
    When permission was granted they announced that they had to serve as the mother ship. Funding was solicited from the
    found the wreck of Columbus’ caravel, Pinta, and that they Institute’s Board of Directors and a volunteer excavation team of
    expected to make US $100,000,000 from marketing it and graduate students was hastily assembled. Arriving at Molasses
    from mining other treasure-bearing shipwrecks they said lay Reef on April 4, 1982, the archaeologists met an unpleasant
    nearby. The salvors’ argument that the wreck was Columbus’ surprise: a huge crater, made by explosives and enlarged by
    Pinta was, at best, thinly supported. Not at all convinced frenzied digging, occupied the center of the ballast mound.
    by the Caribbean Ventures prospectus, the Governor of the The remains of homemade pipe bombs and intentionally
    Turks & Caicos invited Dr. Colin Martin of the Scottish mutilated artifacts lay scattered across the sea bed. Fortunately,
    Institute of Maritime Sciences to visit the site and offer a the original provenances of the most salient artifacts had been
    second opinion on its scientific significance. Dr. Martin’s accurately mapped two years previously by the reconnaissance
    report urged the government to insist that an archaeologist be team. Most of the wreck lay in water less than 6 m deep, in a
    present during the salvage, and suggested the Texas A&M- depression between “fingers” of the reef covering an area of
    based Institute of Nautical Archaeology. The Institute sent some 6,000 m2. A natural ship trap, Molasses Reef had captured
    a two-man reconnaissance team to inspect and map the site. other victims as well, and the remains of several later maritime
    A year later, another band of salvors calling itself “Nomad disasters overlay parts of the site.
    Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk The Molasses Reef Wreck 83

    Conservation and Analysis


    Six months of excavation on the reef, spread over three
    years, produced more than ten tons of artifacts, all of which
    were shipped more than 4,000 km back to Texas. Texas
    A&M University loaned the project use of an old firehouse
    located on its Research Extension Annex. Over the next
    several years graduate students and volunteers cobbled
    together a conservation laboratory for the Molasses Reef
    Wreck artifacts, making efficient use of well-used, but still
    serviceable equipment acquired from the State’s surplus
    equipment depots. Pioneering studies in ballast analysis,
    ordnance design and manufacture, metalography, and
    sclerochronology were undertaken during the artifact
    cleaning, documentation, conservation and analysis phase of
    the project, which consumed seven years.
    An intensive study of the ship’s ballast undertaken by
    geologist William R. Lamb managed to trace some of the
    stones from the ship to their most likely place of origin:
    Lisbon, Portugal. Experiments carried out by Joe J.
    Simmons III, discovered how the wrought-iron breech-
    loading artillery was constructed and how the mysterious
    Figure 2: Mapping the locations of individual stones in the ballast
    lead-iron “composite” shot were made. Sclerochronologist
    mound transect profile before removing them for petrographical
    Dr. Dick Dodge of Nova University attempted to date the site analysis
    by counting the accumulation of annual growth rings in core
    samples extracted from a large Montastraea annularis coral
    head growing on top of the ballast mound, but the coral head
    proved to be only about 250 years old —­ centuries younger Figure 3: Surviving hull remains of the Molasses Reef Wreck in
    than the site. situ
    The vessel’s gross dimensions were revealed by combining
    clues provided by the scant remains of the ship’s wooden
    hull, the distribution of ballast, and curious grooves gouged
    into the seabed by structures which had entirely disintegrated.
    It was a medium-size ship of the period — about 19 m long,
    5 to 6 m wide and 2 m or slightly more in draft. Preserved
    portions of the hull included ceiling planking, first futtocks,
    and hull planking from one side of the ship at about the
    level of the turn of the bilge. No traces of keel, keelson, or
    endposts survived. The fragmentary hull remains preserved
    several construction features commonly found on 15th- and
    16th-century Spanish ships: dovetail-joined, transversely-
    treenailed floors and futtocks, “fillers” closing the gaps
    between floors and futtocks, and the use of white oak for
    every major component of the hull.
    The presence of two different sizes of iron hearteye straps
    suggests that the ship had at least three masts: square-rigged
    fore and main masts and at least one other mast which likely
    carried a lateen sail. The ship’s capacity is more difficult to
    estimate: The stone ballast in the ship’s hold was carefully
    calculated at 40 metric tons, to which can be added the
    mass of the armaments, cargo, crew and ship’s stores. The
    “permanent” ballast (large stones placed in the bottom
    of the ship when it was built to trim its balance) included
    black limestone originating near Bristol, England, and
    alkali-olivine basalt similar to that found in the mid-Atlantic
    islands; however one of the most prevalent types of stone,
    high alumina basalt, appears to have originated in Lisbon,
    Portugal. Another prevalent type, Miocene limestone, is
    84 The Molasses Reef Wreck Underwater Cultural Heritage at Risk

    Creation of the Turks & Caicos National Museum


    In 1988, responsibility for completing the project passed from
    the Institute of Nautical Archaeology to Ships of Discovery,
    a small, publicly-funded non-profit research institute formed
    by the graduate students who had initiated and carried out
    the project from the beginning. Two years later, prompted
    by the sure knowledge that the Molasses Reef Wreck artifact
    collection would soon be shipped to the Islands, concerned
    citizens banded together to form the Turks & Caicos National
    Museum, a publicly-funded, non-profit trust fully sanctioned
    by but independent of the government, authorized to collect,
    preserve and exhibit objects and examples of the cultural and
    Figure 4: An “exploded” view of one of the swivel guns from the natural history of the Turks & Caicos Islands. A Museum
    wreck, showing all its associated parts including swivel, swivel trustee donated the “Guinep Lodge,” one of the oldest houses
    “saddle,” breech chamber, breech wedge, projectile, and textile on Grand Turk, to become the Museum’s home.
    “gasket”
    From its new base of operations in Dallas, Ships of Discovery
    also found in the Lisbon area. The ballast study by itself
    completed conservation and study of the artifacts and designed
    may not furnish a definitive indicator of where the ship was
    the exhibits which would house them in the Turks & Caicos
    built or precisely which ports it visited, but it does supply
    National Museum. All the artifacts and original data resulting
    incontrovertible evidence of connections with Lisbon and
    from the excavation were shipped to the Museum in 1990
    Bristol.
    where they now occupy the entire ground floor, and comprise
    The ship was heavily armed, but most of the armaments were the Museum’s primary attraction. In spite of numerous
    stored and not loaded. A surprising dearth of ceramic sherds impediments, the Molasses Reef wreck remains one of very
    suggests that most of the ship’s provisions were carried in few New World archaeological shipwreck projects actually
    wooden casks and barrels. The crew’s modest amenities were carried through to completion.
    predominantly utilitarian: even the tableware was Spartan.
    No coins or other absolutely datable objects were found, but Although scores of caravels and other types of exploratory
    the characteristics of the artifact assemblage, particularly vessels were wrecked in the Caribbean, only three have been
    the pottery and firearms, indicate that the ship ran aground located. Of these, the Molasses Reef Wreck is the oldest, the
    on Molasses Reef in the second or third decade of the 16th- most complete, and the most carefully excavated. Had the
    century (1510-1530). Tiny glass beads may be indicators excavation not been undertaken, the fate of the Molasses Reef
    of trade with the Indians. Several sets of leg irons, some wreck would have been the same as that of hundreds of other
    of them locked, may have been part of the ship’s normal historic shipwrecks in Caribbean waters. Following the site’s
    complement of disciplinary gear, or they may have been used initial discovery it would have been blasted and picked apart
    to immobilize captives. The almost total absence of objects by curiosity-seekers, collectors, and professional treasure-
    that might be considered personal possessions argues that the hunters. One by one its artifacts would have disappeared
    people on board survived the wreck and had sufficient time only to grace a mantlepiece or coffee table for a few months,
    to organize its abandonment, but the fact that all the ordnance then be forgotten and eventually discarded. Nothing would
    remains on the site suggests that no one ever returned to have been learned and nothing would have been preserved
    salvage the ship. for the entertainment and instruction of future generations.

    But even after analysis, the identity and mission of the ship In contrast, when archaeological finds are properly cared for
    that became the Molasses Reef wreck remain a mystery. The and held responsibly in the public trust, everyone wins. The
    wreck does not appear to match any of the more than 120 Molasses Reef wreck project provided the impetus for the
    European ships known to have been lost in the Americas formation of the Turks & Caicos National Museum, which
    before 1520. Early maps show that Spanish navigators knew now contains exhibits on the cultural and natural history of
    of, and had often visited the Turks and Caicos Islands. The the Islands as well. A source of both pride and revenue for
    purpose of such voyages was to capture Lucayans, the Indians people of the Islands, the Museum can also be credited with
    living in the Bahama and Turks & Caicos Islands when the awakening a new interest in their history. This, in turn, has
    first Europeans arrived, to work as slaves in the mines and spun off other endeavors such as strengthening legislation
    fields of Spanish Hispaniola. It is highly probable that the ship protecting sites of historical and archaeological interest,
    which came to grief on Molasses Reef was engaged in this recording oral histories, repatriating artifacts taken from the
    “grey market” enterprise. Departing from Santo Domingo or Islands more than a century ago, identifying and registering
    one of the other Spanish ports in the Greater Antilles, the ship the oldest structures in the Islands, and the collection,
    left no record of its final voyage in Old World archives. conservation, and rebinding of the nation’s archives.

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