An international team co-directed by a British marine archaeologist has discovered the first shipwrecks linked to the real pirates of the Caribbean in the Bahamas. The finds were made in Nassau harbour on New Providence island, once a hideout for notorious pirates such as Blackbeard and Calico Jack Rackham during the 'golden age of piracy' between the 1690s and 1720s.
The expedition, granted the first official permission to dive in the closed zone of Nassau harbour, uncovered six wrecks, three of which date to the pirate era. Among the discoveries is a charred wooden hull, still weighed down by stone ballast, which archaeologists believe may be evidence of pirates destroying seized ships by fire. Swivel guns, an iron cannon, 25 lead musket balls, and a grinding stone for sharpening swords were also found.
Dr Sean Kingsley, the project's co-director, described the finds as 'the tip of the iceberg' and expressed shock at the survival of the wooden hull. 'To actually see and touch it really was a once-in-a-lifetime moment and quite emotional,' he said. The team also recovered rigging, glass bottles, bricks from a ship's galley, and 143 clay tobacco pipes, some decorated with unicorns, horses, crowns, and the royal crest of England, suggesting London manufacture.
The discoveries are significant because no pirate wrecks had previously been found in Nassau, despite its reputation as the home port of Caribbean pirates. Dr Michael Pateman, co-director and Bahamas ambassador for history, noted that burning ships to the waterline was a tactic to hide crimes from authorities. The expedition faced dangers including strong currents and sharks, but the team managed to work safely.
