Report on Finds from the Saint-Quay-Portrieux Wreck, France

Abstract

In 1987, some divers discovered the cargo of a merchant ship which was wrecked off the rocks of the Saint-Quay Islands in Brittany. Several expeditions were conducted by the discoverer, DRASSM and the Art and History Museum of Saint-Brieuc on the site between 1987 and 2003 but the wreck remains unidentified. The ship is believed to have traded with Africa in the first part of the 18th century. Though no remains of the ship's structure were found, the artefacts recovered, including trading goods, ship's equipment, and domestic utensils, allow comparisons to be made with other contemporary materials.

Slave Ships and Maritime Archaeology: An Overview

“…A second possible slaver is the Saint-Quay-Portrieux wreck, located in 1987 by divers exploring the waters off the Saint-Quay islands in Brittany (Herry 2004). As in the case of Fredensborg, ivory tusks comprised the first finds to be brought up from this wreck (some being found as early as the 1930s), indicating that the ship had traded in Africa, and may have been a slaver.…”

Early diagenesis of elephant tusk in marine environment

“…However, the submarine archaeological site was only discovered in 1987 by two divers (Daniel David and Loïc Le Tiec) at 8 m depth (latitude 48°39' 40", longitude 2°47' 24") and called "Les Poulins" because of its location on the rocks of this same name (Herry, 2004). They first found dozens of elephant tusks.…”

“…They first found dozens of elephant tusks. New excavations took place between 1991 and 1993 and uncovered numerous artefacts belonging to the cargo (elephant tusks and trade goods: beads and manilla), the ship's equipment (brick, rudder, pumps, iron nails, sail, cross-staff, bronze dividers, slates, pencils, grindstone, an iron cannon and iron and lead shots) and objects related to life on board (pewter cups and spoons, soles and brass buckles of shoes, glass pharmaceutical phials, earthenware, an ivory spatula, jars, bowls, Delftware plates, iron balance…) (Herry, 2004). In 2000, most of the material was deposited by the DRASSM (Underwater Archaeological Research Department) under the custody of the Art and History Museum of Saint-Brieuc (North Brittany, France).…”

“…Because of the presence of one ton of ivory the ship is believed to have been part of the maritime trade with Africa. The merchant ship is likely Dutch and dated back to the beginning of the 18th century, which is attested to by the Delftware (Herry, 2004). The objects were buried in sand and covered with marine concretions Plate 1.…”

A Late 17th‐Century Trade Cargo from Ponta do Leme Velho, Sal Island, Cape Verde

“…). Although known to be carried as cargo in many ships sailing to Africa, copper‐alloy manillas are not a frequent find in shipwrecks and are known in just a few sites such as the 18th‐century Saint‐Quay‐Portrieux Wreck in France (Herry, ), the 18th‐century Manilla Wreck in Bermuda—with the largest number of these artefacts ever recovered from a site (Smith and Clarence, )—and a wreck in Elmina, Ghana, dated from late 17th or early 18th century (Pietruszka, : 100–5), among a few others.…”