Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "archaeology"

Blackbeard's Sunken Prize: The 300-Year Voyage of Queen Anne's Revenge by Mark Wilde-Ramsing

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Anyone familiar with golden age piracy has probably encountered two names: Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge. Three hundred years ago, on 10 June 1718, this pirate’s flagship ran aground in North Carolina waters. She remained lost to history until 21 November 1996 when Intersal, a treasure-salvage company, and North Carolina state archaeologists discovered a debris field of cannons and anchors on the seabed. To celebrate the tercentenary of this shipwreck, Wilde-Ramsing and Carnes-McNaughton bring together the findings from their investigation and interpretation of the artifacts of this vessel and the history of her legendary captain. This is not an academic treatise, but a book geared toward lay readers who want to know more about nautical life in the early 1700s, how archaeologists work, and what they discovered.

Blackbeard’s piratical career spanned a mere two years, yet even young children recognize his name. He was born Edward Thache (variant spellings include Thatch and Teach, but the pronunciation mirrors the latter) around 1683 in England, but his family soon moved to Jamaica where he grew up. During Queen Anne’s War (also known in America as the French and Indian War and in Europe as the War of the Spanish Succession), he served aboard a Royal Navy ship before becoming a privateer and later a pirate.

In November 1717, he and his men captured a French privateer-turned-slaver, which he appropriated as his flagship and renamed the Queen Anne’s Revenge. He also acquired fourteen additional crewmen – ten were forced, four joined willingly – and 157 Africans, some of whom would later be sold as slaves. Thus began six months of “hit and run” attacks, in concert with three smaller vessels, on merchant ships in the Caribbean and along the North American coast. At the time of his blockade of Charles Towne in South Carolina, the QAR was armed with forty guns, the same armament found on a fifth rate naval ship – a rare sight in American and Caribbean waters – and, in total, his four ships carried 300 to 400 pirates. Then one day in 1718, the QAR and another vessel grounded on a sandbar in Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina and five months later, Thache was dead and his men were captured or deceased.

This book is divided into eight chapters, each of which focuses on a particular aspect of the history, discovery, or legacy of the QAR.

Meeting a Pirate Captain
A Wild and Crazy Ride
The Prize Is Lost
Opening the Pirate’s Chest
Fragile Remains
An Eye to Detail
A Tale from the High Seas
The Legacy of the Sunken Prize

Interspersed through the chapters are color photographs, pictures, maps, graphs, and tables, as well as two-page, informative essays that examine a subtopic of a particular subject in greater depth.

A Dive to Remember
Queen Anne Appears aboard QAR
Sugar and Slavery
Infestation of Pirates in the New World
North Carolina Invaded by Virginia
Sand and Sonar Provide Unique Protection
Tribute to the Late Phil Masters
Pirate Archaeology and the Archaeology of Pirates
The Sweet Sound of Blackbeard’s Bell
Aprons of Lead
The Duties of a Ship Surgeon
Tales of Pirate Repasts
The Pirates “Stript Them Naked”
Dive Down!

These are written either by the book’s authors or other contributors. Enhancing the reading experience are end notes, which indicate consulted sources and add extra tidbits of information not found within the text, and an index.

Blackbeard’s Sunken Prize is a fascinating exploration of history and seafaring life, and a compelling collection of artifacts, what archaeologists do, and how they concluded that this was indeed the wreckage of Blackbeard’s pirate ship. Tantalizing tidbits of treasure abound within the pages of this comprehensive volume. Particularly intriguing are the artist’s rendering of excavation activities on two expeditions (page 65); the challenges faced in balancing public interest and researching the site; what materials have survived the passage of time and the environment’s impact on the wreckage; how archaeologists tracked down information to learn as much as possible about specific artifacts; learning what happened to various people after the wreck in 1718; and discovering that there is still more to excavate and analyze. Aside from being an invaluable addition to any collection on pirate history and Edward Thache, this volume serves as an excellent introduction to a career in archaeology and the legacy that the history, site, artifacts, and research provide to current and future generations.




View all my reviews

Captain Kidd's Lost Ship: The Wreck of the Quedagh Merchant by Frederick H Hanselmann

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


On 30 January 1698, William Kidd and the crew of the Adventure Galley seized a merchant ship known as the Quedagh Merchant. She was laden with “1200 bayles of muslins, raw silk and calicoe of all sorts, fourteen hundred bags of brown sugar, 84 bayles of raw silk and eighty chests of opium . . . [along with] iron and saltpeter and other goods of less value” (38) They sailed to the Indian Ocean to capture pirates; instead, Kidd was denounced as a pirate. To clear his name, he sailed the Quedagh Merchant to the Caribbean, where she later sank. He was eventually arrested and taken to London, where he stood trial for murder and piracy.

Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship recounts Kidd’s rise and fall, the demise of both him and his prize, and her rediscovery. But far from the simple telling of a privateer who becomes a pirate, this volume delves much deeper into the myth, history, and archaeology surrounding one of the best-known episodes in pirate history. The following quote from page one best explains the purpose of this book.

“Archaeology is not solely the excavation of a site and the recovery of its artifacts; it includes an investigation of the social activity surrounding a site and its formation, the historical context, the actions of individuals in the past as related to a site, and the management and preservation of a site for public benefit and future generations.”

Hanselmann deftly recounts not only the scientific and theoretical sides of the story, but also showcases how one person’s actions and decisions, in combination with those of others and the states involved, snowballed into the loss of both ship and man. It is a tale of interconnected networks – the English East India Company, Armenian traders, sailors, privateers, and piracy – in a global tapestry that reaches from the Indian Ocean to the Caribbean and several points in between. He also explains how they identified the shipwreck and how the Dominican Republic decided to turn this archaeological find into a Living Museum in the Sea.

Even those familiar with William Kidd’s rise and fall will find new information within this book and come away with a better appreciation of who this man was, what he did, and how global changes played a significant part in his story. The step-by-step review of all aspects allows readers to better see “the differences between the commonly held view of Kidd and his vessel that has been passed down through the centuries and the true tale of Kidd’s rise and fall in a much broader context.” (2) The inclusion of contemporary documents, some of which may not appear in other works on Kidd, are an added bonus to a book that is well written. To further place this episode within its historical context, Hanselmann includes a Chronology of Events. There is also a list of cited literature and an index.

While the theoretical explanations may mislead some to think this is a pedantic treatment of a fascinating subject, the author provides a gripping account of how archaeologists sift through myths and legends to discover the reality. Hanselmann provides a well-rounded, more complete glimpse into Kidd and the world in which he lived. It’s one of the best demonstrations of how actions have consequences and how those consequences impact individuals in real world situations. As a result, Captain Kidd’s Lost Ship is an invaluable and informative addition to any maritime, archaeological, or piratical library.




View all my reviews

Dead Man's Chest: Exploring the Archaeology of Piracy by Russell K Skowronek

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Archaeology studies what remains of people who lived in the past. History tells us what happened and why. One examines the physical items left behind, whereas the other peruses the written records. Over the years many histories of pirates have been written, but no one had seriously considered studying the archaeology of piracy. Skowronek and Ewen wanted to change that; in 2006, they found other like-minded people and published X Marks the Spot. Ten years later, they brought us Pieces of Eight. In both titles, their intent was not to craft stuffy, pedantic volumes that were meant only for students and practitioners of archaeology. They wished to also share the knowledge found with others interested in maritime piracy. Now, they add a third volume to the mix. Dead Man’s Chest shines a light on new avenues of study and revisits a few finds to provide different perspectives. The sixteen essays found here are written by doctoral candidates, archaeologists, curators, consultants, historians, paleographers, professors, anthropologists, conservationists, archivists, and oceanographers.

Although popular culture tends to celebrate pirates, the men and women who preyed upon merchantmen during the Golden Age of Piracy were actually thieves and murderers who utilized violence and intimidation to acquire their ill-gotten goods. Ewen’s opening salvo shines a thought-provoking light on this reality in “On Celebrating Piracy: But Should We?”

From here, the book is divided into four sections: Pirate Swag: Material Culture Studies, Transatlantic Piracy, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tierra Firma, and Piracy in the Indian Ocean. The first set of essays discusses some of the artifacts that archaeologists have unearthed and what those tell us about pirates. Kimberley P. Kenyon’s “The Stories They Tell: Recent Finds from Queen Anne’s Revenge/La Concorde” highlights recovered items from Blackbeard’s flagship. Since this vessel was a slaver before pirates acquired it, she highlights the dilemma of determining whether an artifact belonged to or was used by pirates (a theme that surfaces in several other essays in the book). Jessie Cragg and Michael Thomin remind us that pirates also lived ashore in “Sail Bags and Black Flags: Identifying Material Culture of Nineteenth-Century Pirates.” It concerns a ship that set sail in 1794. Instead of the few weeks it should have taken to arrive at her destination, the voyage lasted five months because pirates attacked twice. In “‘Running a Rig’: Pirates and Archaeology in Video Games,” Coy J. Idol and Katherine D. Thomas discuss the influences of archaeology on Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Jean Soulat’s focus in “The Material Culture of Pirate Wrecks and Lairs: A Reflection of Colonial Archaeology through Multicultural Assemblages from the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries” explores the delineation of items found at archaeological digs and how it may be possible to differentiate between those that belonged to pirates and those that did not.

The second group of essays continues this comparison between legal and illegal behavior as it relates to piracy. In “Casting Piracy a Line: An Examination of the Influence of Piracy in the Archaeological Record of Two New England Fishing Settlements,” Megan Rhodes Victor shows how difficult it can be to distinguish between fishermen and pirates when they inhabit the same area. Patrick J. Boyle’s “The Archaeology of Lundy Pirates: A Case Study of Material Culture” concerns a known area frequented by pirates and whether found items are connected to pirates. Bradley Rodgers and Jason T. Raupp’s “The Mystery of Morgan’s Island: Archaeological Insights into a Possible Pirate Wreck at Somerset, Bermuda” demonstrates how the confluence of historical documentation and archaeological studies allow for a reexamination of a past event and its proper interpretation.

The third set of essays opens with Kenneth S. Wild’s “What’s to Become of Me? Pirates and Refugees in the Archaeological Landscape of the Virgin Islands.” Here, he focuses on pirateering, a profession where the line between privateering and piracy blurred. Alexandre Coulaud, Nathalie Sellier-Ségard, and Martijn van den Bel demonstrate the possibility of an emerging pattern in locations where pirates are thought to have set up temporary camps in “Pirates at Grand Case Bay, St. Martin (French West Indies): Interpreting Archaeological Evidence from a Late-Seventeenth-Century Settlement.” Tortuga has long been associated with pirates, but archaeological studies of the island have not been possible; Laurent Pavlidis suggests avenues of research should that change in “Mysterious Tortuga Island, Republic of Haiti.” Geraldo J. S. Hostin’s investigation into “The Pirate of Cotinga Island: The History and Archaeology of a Mysterious Shipwreck in the South of Brazil” puts forth a convincing case as to the identity of the pirate who lost his ship in 1718. Lynn B. Harris concentrates on the connections between “Buccaneers and Harpooners of the Miskito Coast.”

Archaeological investigations in the Indian Ocean are the topic of the fourth section of essays. John de Bry and Jean Soulat discuss recent and upcoming explorations of “Pirate Lairs in Ambodifototra Bay (Saint-Marie Island, Madagascar)? Traces of Fortifications and Camps in Archives and Archaeological Remains.” A French expedition discovered one of the earliest pirate shipwrecks in 1979. Soulat, Yann von Arnim, and Patrick Lizé reconsider what archaeologists discovered and how they made their determination in “The Speaker (1702) Pirate Shipwreck on the East Side of Mauritius: Review of Archaeological Data and Research Perspectives.”

The parting shot in this collection comes from Skowronek with “Unpacking the Dead Man’s Chest.” When X Marks the Spot came out, the majority of the research shared came from historical inquiries. Whereas archaeological waters were uncharted then, much like in the days of these pirates, Dead Man’s Chest and its companion volumes show that the archaeology of piracy does exist and can shed new light on pirates and how they lived.

We tend to think of archaeology as stodgy and dull. Sometimes, it takes just one book to show us the error of that thinking. (My awakening came when I read Anna Ritchie’s Viking Scotland.) To find not one but three offerings that achieve this for pirate afficionados is a true treasure trove. Dead Man’s Chest is enlightening, entertaining, and compelling. The pictures, tables, and maps provide us with concrete examples, while the references and index permit us to explore the archaeology of piracy further. Skowronek and Ewen, as well as the contributors, share their enthusiasm and knowledge to mentor and inspire us, whether we are armchair wannabes, exploring a possible career, or already working in the field of archaeology. If you want to know about piracy during the early eighteenth century, Dead Man’s Chest is a must read. Once read, you’ll want to delve into the earlier volumes to learn even more.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates & Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Skowronek-...)



View all my reviews