Bajo Hornos Reef, Veracruz: a depositional trap for ships and related cultural material

Summary

From the arrival of Cortes in 1519 until the 20th century, Veracruz was one of the most important ports in the Americas. In addition to its role in transatlantic trade, it also played an essential role in maritime relations between Mexico, the Antilles and the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the 80´s, late 90´s and 2010 diving surveys carried out at Bajo Hornos reef by the Underwater Archeology team (SAS) of the Mexican National Institute for Anthropology and History (INAH), yielded a variety of cultural materials and led to the discovery of several fragments of shipwrecks that reflect the intense maritime activity at the fortified port. Archival research and analysis of oceanographical conditions also demonstrate the archaeological potential of this promising and almost unexplored archaeological context and show that Bajo Hornos acted as a natural depositional trap for ships and related cultural material between the 16th and 19th centuries.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013   •
• Underwater Archaeology: Methodologies and Interpretation

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 661