An Iberian Smuggler and His Ill-Fated Ship: 2013-2014 Field Surveys for the Navio of Pedro Díaz Carlos

Author(s): George Schwarz

Year: 2015

Summary

In March of 1608, Captain Pedro Díaz Carlos and crew were returning to Spain from a round trip South American voyage. His small vessel was loaded with sugar and other goods when it was shipwrecked at the southernmost tip of Portugal while crewmembers attempted to unload contraband. Possibly a patacho or small caravela, Carlos’s ship represents a light class of vessels used for both trans-Atlantic voyaging and coastal work for which we have scant archaeological evidence. In addition to ship-related details, the study of Carlos and his exploits can reveal previously untold information about the illicit trade network that existed in the early-17th century between the Iberian Peninsula and the New World. This presentation provides an update of the 2013 and 2014 archaeological field campaigns, which involved remote sensing surveys near Sagres, Portugal, and investigation of newly-discovered material culture that may be associated with Carlos’s elusive vessel.

Cite this Record

An Iberian Smuggler and His Ill-Fated Ship: 2013-2014 Field Surveys for the Navio of Pedro Díaz Carlos. George Schwarz. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Seattle, Washington. 2015 ( tDAR id: 433988)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 264