Investigating a Cannon Site Conundrum in Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica
Author(s): Hannah Piner; B. Lynn Harris; Melissa Price; Katherine Clevenger
Year: 2016
Summary
A site comprising cannons, anchors, and dispersed bricks on the seabed of Cahuita National Park may represent scenarios of a scuttling trail, a wrecking event, or dramatic crew mutiny where sailors set fire to their ship after a disastrous voyage. Danish West Indies historic records and local Afro-Caribbean folklore center around stories of pirate ships and two 18th-century slave ships that were burnt or broken up by surf in this location. The ECU team investigated the distribution patterns of the artifact assemblage, patterns of marine growth, fluvial processes, and local memory about a recent destructive earthquake and illegal removal of artifacts by visiting scientists. As the site is a rich substrate for marine life in Caribbean La Amistad Conservation Area, the investigators also explored the challenge of balancing archaeological investigation and research design with marine life preservation and documentation.
Cite this Record
Investigating a Cannon Site Conundrum in Cahuita National Park, Costa Rica. Hannah Piner, B. Lynn Harris, Melissa Price, Katherine Clevenger. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434459)
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Keywords
General
Cannon Site
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Expedition Costa Rica
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Site Formation
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
18th Century
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): 360