First pirate shipwrecks discovered in Nassau harbour, Bahamas
An international team co-directed by British marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley has discovered the first shipwrecks linked to real pirates of the Caribbean in the Bahamas. The expedition, which received the first-ever official permission to dive in the closed zone of Nassau harbour, found six wrecks, three of which can be traced to the “golden age of piracy” between the 1690s and 1720s. Among the finds were a charred wooden hull, swivel guns, an iron cannon, 25 lead musket balls, and a grinding stone for sharpening swords. The team also recovered rigging, glass bottles, bricks from a ship’s galley, and 143 clay tobacco pipes decorated with symbols including a unicorn and the royal crest of England. Dr Kingsley described the survival of the hull as “shocking” and said the discoveries are “the tip of the iceberg.” The expedition was risky due to strong currents and large shark populations, but project film-maker Chris Atkins noted the team did not bother the sharks. The findings are covered in a mini-series titled “Mystery of the Pirate King’s Treasure” and the next issue of Wreckwatch magazine.
What’s reported
Six shipwrecks were found in Nassau harbour, three linked to the “golden age of piracy” (1690s–1720s).
A charred wooden hull was discovered, weighed down by a stone ballast pile.
Artifacts include swivel guns, an iron cannon, 25 lead musket balls, and a grinding stone for sharpening swords.
The team found rigging, glass bottles, galley bricks, and 143 clay tobacco pipes decorated with a unicorn, horse, crown, and royal crest of England, likely made in London around the 1740s.
The discoveries were made by the New Providence Pirates Expedition, an international team of archaeologists and film-makers.
Dr Sean Kingsley is a British marine archaeologist and co-director of the project; Dr Michael Pateman is co-director and ambassador for history, culture and museology in the Bahamas.
Chris Atkins served as project film-maker and described the dangers of strong tides, currents, and shark concentrations.
The expedition is featured in the first episode of the mini-series “Mystery of the Pirate King’s Treasure” and the next issue of Wreckwatch magazine.
Open questions
Whether the charred hull is the pirate Henry Avery’s flagship, the Fancy, is only speculated.
The exact identities of the pirates associated with the wrecks are not confirmed.
Key figures
Dr Sean Kingsley – British marine archaeologist and co-director of the expedition
Dr Michael Pateman – co-director of the expedition and ambassador for history, culture and museology in the Bahamas
Chris Atkins – project film-maker and explorer
Sources: The Guardian
