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An Analysis of the Port Royal Shipwreck and Its Role In AN ANALYSIS OF THE PORT ROYAL SHIPWRECK AND ITS ROLE IN THE MARITIME HISTORY OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PORT ROY AL, JAMAICA A Thesis by SHEILA ALICIA CLIFFORD Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 1993 Major Subject: Anthropology V DEDICATION To Y.D. lll ABSTRACT An Analysis of the Port Royal Shipwreck and Its Role in the Maritime History of Seventeenth-Century Port Royal, Jamaica. (May 1993) Sheila Alicia Clifford, B.A., Brown University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. D.L. Hamilton During the 1989 and 1990 seasons of Texas A&M University's underwater archaeological field school at Port Royal, Jamaica, a shipwreck was excavated as it lay amidst the submerged remains of a 17th-century building. There were several noteworthy construction features evident on this shipwreck. The majority of the extant structure of the vessel was constructed of white oak while the keel was of slippery elm, a species native to the eastern half of North America. The keel of this vessel had only simple chamfered upper edges, against which the garboards lay, and had at least one scarf joint, the flat of which was in the vertical plain. None of the frame elements (floors and first futtocks) were laterally fastened and the first futtocks were offset from the keel by a distance of over one foot. The relatively small artifact collection recovered from the wreck included fasteners, rigging elements, a shot gauge, barshot, various sizes of iron and lead shot, tobacco pipes, glass stemware fragments, ceramics, and tools. lV The artifact collection, various construction features, and a Carbon-14 date place the date of this vessel's construction in the last quarter of the 17th century; furthermore, an English or Dutch port of origin is suggested. This vessel must have been a part of the large scale, intricate, and l\Krative maritime activity conducted out of 17th-century Port Royal, Jamaica. Particularly, the Port Royal shipwreck bears some striking similarities to the H.M.S. Swan, a small Fifth Rate English warship of Dutch origin that was being careened, or repaired, at the time of the earthquake. The Swan was ripped from the careenage wharf by seismic sea waves associated with the earthquake, and carried into the sinking town where she came to rest in the midst of a Mr. Pike's house. While this shipwreck cannot be positively identified, the excavation and recording of the wreck have nonetheless contributed information to the extremely small body of knowledge available concerning 17th-century ship construction. Vl ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. D.L. Hamilton who made this study possible through his limitless trust, patience, support and friendship ttu:.oughout my years at Texas A&M and particularly during the 1990 field season at Port Royal. Many pages would be needed to catalogue the opportunities and assistance he afforded me. I also wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Kevin Crisman and to Dr. David Brooks who provided valuable critical analyses of this text as well as support and guidance. Many thanks also to the Nautical Archaeology Program and to the Institute of Nautical Archaeology for financial assistance; to Vicki Weir and the staff of Texas A&M University's Large Animal Clinic for their assistance with X-rays of encrusted artifacts; to the staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, for processing several wood samples; and, to Marianne Franklin, Jessica Harvey, and Mark Hartmann for valuable assistance during the excavation of the shipwreck. Finally, my particular appreciation to Mom and Dad for unswerving support; and to a great group of friends. Vll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT . 111 DEDICATION ........................................ ---~· . v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . v1 TABLE OF CONTENTS . vu LIST OF FIGURES . Xl LIST OF TABLES XVI LIST OF CHARTS xvu INTRODUCTION 1 AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAJOR SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY NA VAL POWERS AND THEIR SHIPS . 9 ENGLAND . 13 Characteristics of Seventeenth-Century English Warships . 15 Seventeenth-Century English Merchant Vessels . 19 THE NETHERLANDS . 21 Seventeenth-Century Dutch Ship Construction Practices . 22 Characteristics of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Merchant Vessels . 24 Seventeenth-Century Dutch Warships . 25 FRANCE . 26 IBERIAN PENINSULA . 28 NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES . 31 THE MARITIME HISTORY OF SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PORT ROY AL, JAMAICA . 34 PIRACY AND THE EARLY GROWTH OF PORT ROY AL . 35 Vlll Page SUCCESS AND CATACLYSMIC DEMISE . 36 ILLICIT TRADE IN THE CARIBBEAN . 37 THE LOGWOOD TRADE . 40 THE JAMAICAN SLOOP FLEET . 43 LEGAL MARITIME TRADE AT PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA .... --,·. 43 TRADE GOODS IMPORTED TO JAMAICA, AND THEIR SOURCES . 45 England . 45 New England . 47 Ireland . 48 JAMAICAN EXPORTS . 48 TRADE TO AND FROM JAMAICA AND THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN . 49 ENGLISH NAVAL PRESENCE AT PORT ROYAL . 50 DESCRIPTIONS OF COMMON SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY SHIP TYPES 55 SHIP . 56 FLU YT . 57 FRIGATE . 59 KETCH . 60 BARK . 62 SNOW . 63 PINK . 63 SLOOP . 64 YACHT . 65 CARA VELOES . 66 PINNACE . 67 SHALLOPS . 68 ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY . 71 THE DISPOSITION OF THE PORT ROY AL SHIPWRECK 78 DESCRIPTION OF THE HULL REMAINS OF THE PORT ROY AL SHIPWRECK . 82 THE KEEL . 82 THE FALSE KEEL . 84 THE DEADWOOD . 84 THE PLANKING . 87 lX Page THE FRAMES . 89 FASTENERS . 90 CEILING AND BALLAST . 91 DISCUSSION OF THE CONSTRUCTION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PORT ROY AL SHIPWRECK . 92 WOOD TYPES . 97 THE KEEL . 98 THE PLANKING . 100 THE FRAMING . 101 CEILING AND BALLAST . 104 THE H.M.S. SWAN . 107 SALVAGE OF THE SWAN . 110 THE ARTIFACTS . 112 CONSERVATION . 113 Iron Artifacts . 114 Lead Artifacts . 115 Wooden Artifacts . 116 Ceramic Artifacts . 117 Glass Artifacts . 118 Fabric . 118 DISCUSSION OF ARTIFACTS . 119 Ship-Related Artifacts . 119 Gudgeons . 119 Deadeye . 121 Fasteners . 122 Lead Strips . 124 Armament . 125 Shot Gauge . 125 Cannon Balls . 128 Bars hot . ..
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