The 'Mardi Gras' Shipwreck is the remains of an early-19th-century sailing vessel lost in approximately 1220 m of water in the Gulf of Mexico. A recent archaeological investigation documented the wreck and recovered several artefacts, including glassware, ceramics, navigational instruments, a cannon, and a stove. Analyses of these artefacts and the surviving hull have led to preliminary conclusions on the nature of the vessel and its crew.
Increasing deep-water oil & gas exploration, through its compliance with offshore regulatory oversight, has located significant archaeological sites in the Gulf of Mexico. These unsolved mysteries of the deep have much to tell about the unique history and culture of this region. Recently, an investigation of three early nineteenth-century shipwrecks located 170 miles off the Louisiana-Texas coast has yielded invaluable information. Following the discovery of three distinct yet unknown sonar targets during a Shell Oil seafloor hazard and archaeological survey conducted in 2011, video examination of one site, named Monterrey Wreck A, occurred in April 2012 with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer expedition. The tantalizing results of that expedition led to another more intensive investigation in July 2013 with a multi-team, multi-faceted mapping and artifact recovery effort. The privately funded 2013 archaeological investigation was affected through collaboration between varied federal and state partners, academic and nonprofit partners teaming archeologists, biologists, ROV specialists, and educators together in a public/private partnership to explore and learn more about this site. After detailed mapping of the wreck site, more than 60 artifacts were recovered, along with biological and sediment samples, intended to help identify and date the site and provide information about the environmental conditions occurring on a shipwreck at a depth of 4300 ft. During the 2013 investigation, the two nearby shipwrecks were also mapped and documented; confirming a hypothesis that the three shipwrecks are likely associated and perhaps lost during a single cataclysmic event such as a storm. Artifact conservation and analysis is ongoing, but preliminary research suggests that Monterrey Shipwrecks date to the early part of the nineteenth-century and are comprised of an armed vessel and possibly two consort cargo vessels or prizes. The 2013 expedition was broadcast live, via satellite, through the unique telepresence capabilities of the research vessel Ocean Explotation Trust (OET) Nautilus that enabled field archeologists and educators to describe the ongoing work and interact with the public. Continued public outreach includes report preparation and the creation of educational materials.
This article describes maritime archaeology in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The first explorations of the Gulf was undertaken in the sixteenth century. The ability to conduct archaeological work in this region is hindered by many environmental factors. The coastal topography is often shallow, necessitating the use of smaller vessels for easy bay and riverine entry. High-visibility dives environments in some areas of the Gulf facilitate discovery and recordation of wreck sites. Government involvement and intervention has led to the protection of some archaeological sites. Remote sensing surveys have identified some of the oldest shipwrecks in the gulf in the North American region. This article summarizes this area's specific shipwreck sites and emphasizes historical events that relate to archaeological discoveries through case studies. Improved data-collection techniques and public outreach can aid in discovering and protecting the Gulf's maritime cultural resources.
Boca Chica Beach spans the south Texas coast in Cameron County for a distance of roughly 12 kilometers between Brazos Santiago Pass and the mouth of the Rio Grande River at the Texas and Mexican border. More than 165 historic ships have been reported lost along the south Texas coast in this general area and at least four, or portions thereof, have been discovered so far. The most well-known of the shipwreck remains is archeological site 41CF184, nicknamed Boca Chica No. 2, which has gained almost mythological status in the region as it has long been circumstantially linked to the Mexican warship Moctezuma; not-so-coincidentally one of the most famous shipwrecks in the region. Is Boca Chica No. 2 the famous warship, once believed to be a “phantom” because it so often eluded the Texian patrols? Evidence suggests otherwise but the significance of both the historic ship and the archeological site invite reexamination of this unresolved mystery.
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