Florida State University
Research in Underwater Archaeology

The Aucilla River Prehistory Project (ARPP)

The ARPP is an ongoing archaeological/paleontological underwater excavation that has been conducted for over ten years by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida. The ARPP is internationally recognized for its contributions towards a greater understanding of human and animal interaction in late Pleistocene Florida. Each season of diving the cool, murky depths of the Aucilla River (near Tallahassee, FL) uncovers substantial new evidence of human, animal, and plant life spanning the past 30,000 years.

The Floating Dock Bermuda Underwater Archaeology Project

Bermuda was a 19th century floating drydock designed by the British to careen ships in the West Indies. The drydock, constructed in England of wrought-iron and designed to be self-careening, was towed to the island of Bermuda. Archaeological research was conducted on the Floating Dock by Brown University, the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society, the Bermuda Maritime Museum, Earthwatch, and the Bermuda SubAqua Club.

La Salle's Ship La Belle

After he discovered the Mississippi, the famous French explorer La Salle attempted to start a colony at modern day Matagorda Bay, Texas. In 1686 the ship La Belle, a personal gift from King Louis XIV to La Salle, ran aground in the shallows of the Bay. In 1995, the Texas Historical Commission discovered and began excavations of La Belle. Florida State University provided some diving and technical support for the project. This official website is an excellent home page, and includes an impressive array of nautical links.

Conservation of the millions of artifacts recovered from this site is taking place at Texas A&M's Conservation Research Laboratory. Their web site contains a series of conservation reports which document the laboratory treatment of these fascinating artifacts, including the ship's hull itself.

Combined Caesarea Expeditions

This is a multi-university ongoing investigation and excavations of King Herod's Harbor at Sebastos in Israel. Contains information pertaining to the archaeological research, the diver volunteer program, as well as links to various other Caesarea webpages.

Late Bronze Age Shipweck at Uluburun (Kas), Turkey

This is a digitized article by Cemal Pulak that originally appeared in the INA Quarterly called "1994 Excavation at Uluburun: The Final Campaign" in the Winter 1994 issue, volume 21, number 4. The article presents an overview of the research conducted b y the Institute of Nautical Archaeology on this site during 11 seasons of excavation, focusing on the 1994 field research.

Bozburun Shipwreck Excavation Project, Turkey

Discovered by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in 1973, excavations did not begin on this 9th century Byzantine ship until the summer of 1995. The first season saw a survey and initial excavation of the ship, which consists mainly of a 20 x 8 meter mound of amphorae.

Excavation of HMS Fowey

This webpage summarizes research conducted on HMS Fowey, a British fifth-rate man of war that sank in Biscayne Bay, Florida, in 1748. The wreck was discovered and excavated by Florida State University and the National Park Service's Southeast Archaeological Center. This site contains lots of pictures and information on the the project, the artifacts discovered (in particular the 9-pounder cannon recovered), and the history of the ship.

The Looe Key Ballast Scatter

This site gives a brief summary (with photographs) of research conducted on the remains of an unknown shipwreck off Looe Key, Florida. A team of Florida State University student archaeologists mapped the extent of the ballast stones and uncovered a few pieces of artifactual material, and it is believed that the ship may be that of a 19th century merchantman.

Little Salt Spring Archaeological Project

Little Salt Spring is a spring-fed sinkhole located in south Florida. The sink contains evidence of two periods of prehistoric occupation, in the Paleoindian period (12,000 to 9,000 years ago) and the Archaic period (6,800 to 5,200 years ago). The site is owned and the current research is being conducted by the University of Miami, and their web page has general information on the site as w ell as details on the video mosaicking system being used to map the excavations. Florida State University also has a Little Salt Spring webpage, giving information on the site and FSU's participation in ongoing archaeological research.

Remote Sensing Investigations of the Civil War Blockade Runner Ivanhoe

The Ivanhoe was a Blockade Runner lost in Mobile Bay, Alabama. It was relocated through a terrestrial magnetometer survey conducted by Florida State University. A subsequent FSU survey utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar was highly succesfull in delineating and confirming the identification of the wreck.

Wreck of the Esk

This shipwreck is beached on Parramore Island, Virginia. Esk was a three-masted schooner built in 1885. She was lost in a storm in 1888. Sustantial portions of the wreck remain, grounded near the U.S. Lifesaving Station on Parramore Island.

Croatan Shipwreck

This is a current archaeological project being conducted by the Life-Saving Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Croatan Wreck seems to be an American three masted schooner dated to about 100 years ago. It was recently uncovered by Hurricane Gordon and has been surveyed by Life-Saving Museum staff and underwater archaeologists.

The Wreck of HMS Pandora

The Queensland Museum of Brisbane, Australia is currently excavating the 1791 shipwreck of the Pandora. HMS Pandora is the frigate sent to the South Pacific to bring to justice the men who mutinied on the famous Bounty. HMS Pandora took some of the Boun ty's crew prisoner and was searching for Fletcher Christian and the others when she wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef. This is the sixth archaeological expedition on the Pandora, and will focus on the stern section and the recovery and conservation of artifacts for research and display.

The Tantura Lagoon Expedition

This is a joint project sponsored by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Center of Maritime Studies at Haifa University. Tantura Lagoon is located near Dor off the coast of Israel. This lagoon is the site of more than one ancient shipwreck, at least one believed to be from the Byzantine period (AD 324-638). This page focuses on the recording of ship timbers from the site.

The Steamboat Bertrand

This stern-wheel steamer was excavated from under 26 feet of sediment that had accumulated since she hit a snag and sank in Missouri River in 1865. Excavated by salvors in conjunction with the National Park Service in 1968-1969, this project produced an amazing artifact assemblage. George Fischer, now faculty at Florida State University, served as Project Coordinater for this endeaver.

USS Alligator

The Alligator was a 12 gun schooner built in 1820 to serve against the illegal slave trade. She sank in the Florida Keys off Alligator Reef near Islamorada. The Naval Historical Center has led a joint project investigating this ship.

USS Tecumseh

Tecumseh was an iron-hulled monitor that was sunk by the CSS Tennessee in the famous Battle of Mobile Bay in 1864. East Carolina University has worked on this wreck, and the Naval Historical Center is currently planning investigations.

CSS Alabama

The Alabama was a famous Confederate raider buit in 1864 in England. This sloop-of-war wreaked havoc on United States shipping in the North Atlantic and the Caribbean until it was trapped in the French harbor at Cherbourg by USS Kearsarge in 1864. Kearsarge sunk Alabama in the ensuing battle. The Naval Historical Center and the government of France have agreed to a joint project excavating the ship. There are is also a French web page.

H.L. Hunley

The Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel. Made in 1864 in Mobile, Alabama out of an iron steam boiler, the Hunley engaged the sloop-of-war USS Housatanic off the shore of South Carolina. She sunk Housatanic but was lost herself. Recently discovered by divers of the NUMA, a joint excavations project is being planned by the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Naval Historical Center, the Park Service's Submerged Cultural Resources Unit, NOAA's Archaeology and Maritime History Program, and others. SCIAA maintains another page providing updates on the project. SCIAA also maintains a Hunley Update page, which is another excellent source of currrent information

The Resurgam Submarine Wreck

The Reverend George Garrett founded the first submarine construction company in the world in 1878. His first submarine, the Resurgam, was recently discovered off North Wales and a major archaeological excavation is planned.

The Krogen Project

The Emanuel Point Shipwreck

The Emanuel Point Shipwreck is a 16th century shipwreck in Pensacola Bay. It is believed to have been one of Tristan de Luna's ships lost in a hurricane. The state of Florida has conducted excavations on this wreck and have recently established this web site. University of West Florida also has a web page about this wreck.

Blackbeard's Pirate ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge

In 1717 the infamous Blackbeard captured a slaver that had been built 10 years before. He added twenty cannons, to make a total of about 40, and made it his flagship. It wrecked offshore North Carolina, where it was discovered in 1997. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources' Division of Archives and History sponsors an impressive Queen Anne's Revenge (QAR) Project webpage to document the protection, research, recovery, and interpretation of this find. In addition to information on the artifacts, history, commercial, and research organizations involved, and news releases, this page has a series of day by day dive reports on-line. These reports document the Fall 1997 site assessment, as well as the September 16 through October 15, 1998 field season, with both pictures and text.

Mary Rose Main Web Page

The Mary Rose was the favorite battleship of King Henry VIII. It was built in 1509 and sank while sailing off to engage the French in 1545. Its hull was raised in 1982 as the culmination of one of the most famous underwater archaeological projects ever. The Mary Rose Museum is located in Portsmouth, England, and this website give visitor and educational information as well as providing a virtual tour of the museum.

San Pedro de Alcantara

This large Spanish warship wrecked off the coast of Portugal in 1786. She was on route from Peru taking, among others, Incan political prisoners back to Spain. Several Portuguese agencies have undertaken this joint effort to excavate this shipwreck. There is also a more extensive page in Portuguese

Seventh Century Yassa Adi Ship Exhibit

This page is a reprint of an INA Quarterly article detailing Texas A&M University's research and reconstruction of the Yassi Ada shipwreck, and the excavation of medieval burials in the crusader's castle in which the shipwreck exhibet is staged.

Port Royal Project

The bustling British port of Port Royal, Jamaica, was known in the 17th century as "the wickedest city on Earth." It was a haven for privateers, slavers, and pirates, and Britain's wealthiest trade center in the New World. But in 1692, as if through a divine retribution, a massive earthquake struck and much of the city slipped into the sea. Early exacavations we instigated by Edwin Link and Bob Marx, but this sunken city was systematically and scientifically investigated by the Nautical Archaeology Program of Texas A&M from 1981 through the early 1990's. This page presents an overview of Texas A&M's research in Port Royal.

Opal Shipwreck

This site, in Pensacola Beach, Florida, was uncovered by Hurrcane Opal in 1995. It was then investigated by the University of West Florida

Underwater Shipwreck State Parks and Historic Sites

This page details some of Indiana University's research in the Florida Keys and in Lake Tahoe, California.

Minnesota's Lake Superior Shipwrecks

This page focuses on the historic 19th century shipwreck's in Minnesota's Lake Superior, and other lakes and rivers. The page has an extensive amount of photographs and textual information.

Antiquities of Kyrenia

This page contains extensive information on the archaeology, history, and geology of Kyrenia, including the archaeology of Kyrenia Castle and the Kyrenia Shipwreck.

Titanic information

The Maritime History Virtual Archives webpage has compiled an impressive body of information on the Titanic, possibly the most famous shipwreck of all time. This site also includes links to many other Titanic sites. Another must see Titanic Webpage is sponsored by Ocean Planet of the Smithsonian Institution. This page has hundreds of links.

Cromwellian Shipwreck at Duart Point, Scotland

This wreck, believed to be the Swan, was one of the vessels of Cromwell's invasion fleet that sank in 1653. This webpage details the wreck's history, discovery, and archaeological investigation by the UK' Archaeological Diving Unit. The Archaeological Diving Unit also maintains a webpage on this shipwreck

Dhows of Oman

This is an Earthwatch project to excavate and record the wrecks of Arabic dhows off the coast of Oman.

Excavation of the Nassau (1606), Malaysia

In 1606, the Dutch ship Nassau sank after a battle with the Portuguese over the control of the port Malacca. Discovered off Port Dickson, the Nassau is being excavated by a local salvage company in cooperation with Oxford University and University Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The Kingstown Harbour Shipwreck Project

In the clear waters of Kingstown Harbour, on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent, lies the remains of a 18th century shipwreck. In December of 1997, archaeologists surveyed this wreck in a joint project sponsored by the Institute of Maritime History and the Florida State University Program in Underwater Archaeology.

The Sunken Lighthouse of Alexandria

In 1995 a French archaeological team discovered on of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the ruins of the Pharos lighthouse of Alexandria. The remains of this lighthouse, along with many fascinating Egyptian statues and other artifacts, were offshore the modern city of Alexandria in Egypt. This webpage, sponsored by Nova, overviews the project, its tools and technology, methodology, and archaeological "treasures."

The Vasa

This is one of the most famous 17th century shipwrecks. In 1628 this Swedish royal warship and heeled over and sank on her maiden voyage in Stockholm harbor. She was discovered in 1956 and recovered in one of the earliest and most extensive underwater archaeological projects ever. The entire ship is now preserved and on display at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. The Museum webpage, available in several languages, presents an overview of the ship--its construction details, sinking, salvage, the sailors on board, etc.--and of the museum, including operation hours, information on tours, admissions, and film shows. The "Vasa Capsizes" webpage contains an economic and political background of the Vasa, including a detailed chronology of events leading to the construction and sinking of the vessel. The Regalskeppet Wasa webpage, in Swedish, provides a historical overview of the construction and loss of the Vasa, with detailed illustrations.

The Maple Leaf

The Maple Leaf was built in 1851 in Canada for the Lake Ontario steamboat passenger trade. She was sold in 1862 and chartered by the U.S. Army to serve in the Civil War as a Union troop transport. On April 1, 1864, while cruising the St. John's River approaching Jacksonville, Florida, the steamer struck a mine ("torpedo") while carrying northern soldiers and the equipment and personal baggage of three regiments. The shipwreck was discovered in the 20th century by Keith Holland, and was excavated by Holland's team as well as East Carolina University.

The AWSANZ Project

The AWSANZ project (the Archaeology of Whaling in Southern Australia and New Zealand) is an international collaborative project initiated and directed by archaeologists at La Trobe University in Melbourne and Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. The project, which involves both maritime and terrestrial archaeology, addresses aspects of the archaeology and history of Australasia's colonial whaling industry. The page details the objectives of the project, data on Australia's colonial whaling industry, information on the AWSANZ Conference, and other information.

Maritime Fife Project

This is an ongoing project, conducted by the University of St. Andrews, focusing on the study, interpretation, and management of the maritime archaeological and historical resources of the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland. Project participants conduct archaeological research, mainatain databases of bibliographic, photographic, and cultural resources, and involve educational facilities and the public in archaeolgical research.

The Windjammer Wreck, the Avanti

This iron-hulled, ship-rigged sailing vessel wrecked in the Dry Tortugas in 1907. She was originally named Killean when built in Scotland in 1875, then sold to the French in 1893, then finally sold to a Norwegian firm and renamed Avanti in 1901. The wreckage is a spectacular dive site and is popular with National Park visitors.

The Copper Galt Project

This webpage details an ongoing project in lake Stora Aspan, Sweden. According to local legend, the nearby villagers of Skog, who participated in the local copper mining industry, had created a massive copper ingot or "Galt" which was lost to the depths when transported over the frozen surface of the lake in the late 17th century. A salvage attempt was made by constructing a wooden would-be cofferdam, but this technology failed. In the twentieth century, Swedish divers are attempting to re-locate the copper galt and have succeeded in locating a submerged wooden structure believed to be the salvage device. This webpage is also available in Swedish.

Confederate Ironclad Neuse

This page is dedicated to the history and archaeological remains of the Confederate ironclad gunboat CSS Neuse. The 158' long Neuse was an instrumental part of North Carolina's attempt to re-gain control of the Neuse River during the Civil War. In 1865, when the city of Kinston was occupied by Northern troops, the ship was scuttled by her crew. Almost 100 years later the hull remains, along with thousands of artifacts, were recovered and are now on display in Kinston.

Excavation of the 17th Century Swedish Frigate Fredricus

The frigate Fedricus was built in 1698, and served both in the Swedish navy and as a privateer. She was scuttled in Marstrand Harbour in 1719, and is currently being excavated by the Bohuslan County Museum and other archaeologists. The page provides an overview of the ship's history, the background of the project, methodology, and other details.

Underwater Archaeology in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Northern Germany German Version

Underwater Archaeology in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Northern Germany English Version

This page highlights a number of research projects in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in Northern Germany. There are a number of different types of archaeological sites in the region, including submerged prehistoric settlements, medieval shipwrecks, sunken fortifications, and bridge remains. There is also an english language version, with information on the various projects.

The Kronan

At noon, June 1st 1676 the Swedish Royal ship Kronan (`The Crown') capsized, exploded and sank off the east coast of the Baltic island of Öland. Kronan sank before the beginning of an action between the Swedish and the allied Danish-Dutch fleet. In 1981 Kalmar Läns Museum started the marine archaeological investigations of Kronan. This webpage presents information on the ship, it's history, the archaeology and artifacts recovered, and museum exhibits.

Sir William Phips Shipwreck, 1690

In the spring of 1689, war broke out in Europe between France and the League of Augsburg, a coalition of countries led by England. In 1690, New France launches a full-scale attack on the British colonies in America, particularly New York. New Englanders as a whole joined forces against New France. Sir William Phips, famous for leading the salvage of an earlier 17th century Spanish treasure ship in the Caribbean, was appointed commander of a squadron and immediately led his troops against New France (Canada). On August 19, 1690, Phips set sail for Québec with a fleet of about 30 ships, including 4 large vessels and over 2,000 men. Phips attacked Québec on October 18, but was driven back, and on the return to Boston his squadron encountered severe storms. A number of his ships were wrecked. Rediscovered in 1994, this particular shipwreck has been excavated and studied by Parks Canada, and its well-preserved remains are providing a wealth of information on late 17th century maritime activities, military actions, and ship construction.

Sadana Island Shipwreck Project

The Sadana Island Shipwreck, off Egypt's Red Sea coast, is an 18th century Ottoman-period shipwreck under investigation by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Her cargo included coffee, spices, and export porcelain and now lies 100 feet beneath the sea. Continued research will reveal information on the vessel, its construction and cargo, and the history of trade and international contact in the western Indian Ocean. This webpage features many images of the diving, project, and artifacts, information on the artifacts' conservation, research reports, and other information on the project.

The Mast Wreck

Five kilometres east of Gamla Oxelöund at the Bråviken Bay, off the eastern coast of Sweden, there is a remarkable wreck at about 90 feet or 30 meters of depth. The wreck was discovered during a 1992-94 wreck survey project. It is believed to be a merchant vessel, and has been dated to the first half of the 18th century. It is remarkably well preserved, and the main mast is still standing (hence its name). This webpage presents an abstract, in English, of the original Swedish report, and contains images of artifacts, diving activities, and a computer reconstruction of the vessel.

The Kravel Project

In 1991 this 16th century Baltic wreck was inspected by archaeologists Johan Rönnby and Peter Norman (then of the Swedish Central Board of Antiquities) and Jon Adams (of Southampton University). This shipwreck is believed to be one of many ships acquired by King Gustav Vasa from Lubeck with which to fight the Danes in 1522. As the wreck is unidentified, it has been named the Kravel (Swedish for carvel). In 1994 archaeological research began in earnest on the site. This webpage is a detailed interim report on this archaeological research and contains information on the site, the vessel, its ordnance, diving operations, the ship in its historical context, and other useful data.

Navy Hall

Navy Hall, near Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Canada, is a submerged site dating to the 18th and early 19th century. Since the 1970s, local divers have participated in archaeological research in this area. Previous work includes the investigation of a submerged wharf feature, and a current project is the excavation of a flat-bottomed boat, possibly a bateaux. This site provides details on the archaeology, history, and sport diver involvement of the site.

Benedict Arnold's 1776 Squadron Gunboat

This sunken vessel was discovered by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and it represents the remains of an American gunboat lost during the retreat after the Battle of Valcour Island in October 1776. In 1996, a survey led by Art Cohn Cohn discovered the intact 54-foot gunboat in an excellent state of preservation, sitting upright on the bottom, its mast still standing over fifty feet high and its large bow cannon still in place.

The Fluit Anna-Maria

This Dutch merchant ship was built in Amsterdam in 1694, and bought by Swedish merchants. In 1709, loaded with a cargo of lumber, iron, and copper, and wintering in the Swedish port Dalaro, she caught fire and sank through the ice to a depth of 20 meters. Discovered by sport divers as early as the 1960s, the 38 meter long hull-remains are well-preserved and still contain much of the merchantman's original cargo.

Chinese Trading Vessel wrecked at Coral Bay, the Philippines

This shipwreck is believed to be the remains of one of the vessels in the great Chinese Admiral Zheng He's treasure fleet lost in 1414. It was discovered in June of 1993 by a pearl-farm worker. On board the wreck of the Chinese vessel was a treasure trove of some 4,722 artifacts that included Thai stoneware, Vietnamese ceramics, Chinese coins minted from gold, bronze gongs, celadon plates and small cannons that were used, not for war, but to announce the arrival of dignitaries. perfectly intact. This wreck represents a wealth of information on the extensive Asian trading network before Europeans arrived in the orient. The vessel, constructed from tropical hardwoods, was most likely 25 to 30 meters long and six to eight meters in width. In its search for exotic goods, it traveled possibly as far as Africa and called at numerous ports throughout Southeast Asia.

Wreck of the San Diego

This webpage details the search for and investigation of the galleon shipwreck San Diego by the Society for Underwater Exploration. This late 16th century Spanish galleon was discovered in 1991 by the Society in 50 meters of water. The two excavations in 1992 and 1993 have produced a wide range of artifacts including an astrolabe, ship construction and rigging materials, personal items, human and animal skeletal remains, coins, cannons and other weaponry, and ceramics.

The Dutch East Indiaman Ossterland, South Africa

The Oosterland was built in the Netherlands in 1684 to ply the lucritive Asian trade routes. After a decade of oriental trade, the ship was lost in May of 1697 off the coast of South Africa on route back to Europe. In 1988 the shipwreck was discovered by sport divers in 6 meters of water. The divers brought the site to the attention of University of Cape Town marine archaeologists. This site became the focus of South Africa's first legitimate marine archaeological project. The webpage provides details on the excavation methodology and artifacts recovered from the site. Ceramics from the site include Chinese export porcelain, Chinese stoneware, Japanese and Persian porcelain, Dutch earthenware and Germanic stoneware.

The Dutch East Indiaman Zuytdorp

This Dutch East India Company vessel was lost off the coast of western Australia in 1712. This site, sponsored by the Western Australian Maritime Museum, provides an extensive overview of the shipwreck, its history, and the archaeological activities which have taken place since its discovery almost half a century ago, inlcuding excavation reports.

The Brother Johnathon Shipwreck, 1865

The steamship Brother Johnathon struck a rock while trying to make safe harbor at Cresent City, California, during a summer storm in 1865. Almost all of her cargo of camels, china, gold, ceramics, and other commodities was lost when the ship sank in 250 feet of water. The site was discovered over a hundred years later by a remote-sensing (sonar) survey. The wreck was examined with remotely-operated vehicles, and a number of artifacts were recovered and are now on display at this virtual museum. This site is sponsored by the California State Lands Commsission.

Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks

The State Historical Society of Wisconsin (SHSW) and the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant have developed this web page. It features information from the shipwrecks of both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The site contains fascinating pictures, and information on these majestic shipwrecks, many of which are available to sport diving activities.

King Charles I Shipwreck Project

Treasure and other supplies belonging to the 17th century British King Charles the First was lost when the royal ship Blessing of Burntisland was lost in the Firth of Forth. In 1999, after an 18 month search, the remains of a historic shipwreck believed to be the Blessing of Burntisland was found by a team made up of the Burntisland Heritage Trust and the Royal Navy. This webpage contains details on the survey and upcoming field research, and the historical overview of the shipwreck and King Charles I.

The Queen of Nations

The Queen of Nations, a wooden clipper ship of 827 tons, ran aground on the morning of 31 May 1881 off Corrimal Beach north of Wollongong in Australia. The first archaeological surveys of the wreck site were conducted by Heritage Branch maritime archaeologists in April 1991. These and subsequent inspections confirmed its identification as the Queen of Nations, built at Aberdeen in 1861. This webpage overviews the history of the vessel, its cargo and artifacts, the archaeological investigations, its current condition, and provides images of the site and its artifacts.

The Denbigh Project

The Denbigh Project is an effort by the Institue of Nautical Archaeology at Texas A&M University to identify, document, and preserve the wreck of Denbigh (41GV143), one of the most successful Confederate blockade runners of the American Civil War.

L'Invincible Shipwreck

Built in 1744, the French L'Invincible was the first of a new class of 18th century warships. This 74-gun ship was the product of an increasingly sophisticated naval architecture developing in France, and her superior speed and sailing attributes were noted by a number of British admiralty officials after she was captured in 1747. She sank near Portsmouth in 1758, and was discovered by fishermen in the 1970's. Since that time, the site has been subject to excavation by archaeologists. This webpage provides information on the ship, its history, discovery, and excavation. Warning: some of the artifacts recovered from the site have been sold and are offered to sell to private individuals, a practice which is normally considered highly unethical by professional archaeologists.

The Angra Bay Shipwrecks

Sture Hultqvist's Sonar Project

Sture Hultquist, from Uppsala, Sweden, has built his own side-scan sonar system and this webpage documents his field tests and wreck discoveries. The page includes some detailed sonar images, generated from 1996 to the present, of a variety of shipwrecks in Swedish waters and elsewhere. Another version of the page (http://home.planetinternet.be/projects/sture/sture.htm), with Dutch translations, is also online.

Nossa Senhora dos Martires (1606)

This Portuguese spice trader wrecked in 1606 against the rocks of São Julião da Barra on its return from Cochin. This webpage consists of an article titled "Geneaology and Archaeology of Portuguese Ships at the Dawning of the Modern World," by Francisco J. S. Alves of Portugal's Centro Nacional de Arqueologia Náutica e Subaquática. The article deals with the Mártires specifically but also traces the development of Iberian ship construction techniques and overviews a wide range of archaeological evidence. The article was originally published in the book Nossa Senhora dos Mártires: the last Voyage (Expo '98), and is presented here on the internet by the Nordic Underwater Archaeology Webpage.

HMS Bounty and the Pitcairn Island Project

Pitcairn Island, in the South Pacific, was the final destination of the British warship Bounty, after its famous mutiny. The remains of the shipwreck lie in the waters around Pitcairn Island to this day. The Pitcairn Project represents the first concentrated effort to define the formative years of the mutineer settlement of Pitcairn island. The project has adopted a holistic approach, and brings both maritime and terrestrial archaeological specialists and techniques to focus on a range of sites on and around the island.