The Sunken Ships of Cartagena Project: Towards the Development of Underwater Archaeology, Research, and Capacity in Colombia

Summary

The Caribbean coast of Colombia is famous for being part of the Spanish treasure route, including Cartagena de Indias; a crucial port along the route. The call of gold and silver led to conflict between natives, Spanish fleets, privateers, pirates, and foreign navies, leaving numerous shipwrecks along the coast and in ports such as Cartagena. While it is known that many shipwrecks exist, very little has been done to document, study, and manage this underwater cultural heritage with some areas remaining unexplored. During the 2013 field season the Sunken Ships of Cartagena project began the search for and documentation of shipwrecks using remote sensing and diver visual surveys to locate and add them to the national database of archaeological sites, facilitating the development of a management framework and better understanding of the extent of the submerged heritage within Colombia’s waters. Collaborative efforts also include workshops and training for Colombian professionals.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Law and Order: Protecting, Studying and Sharing Underwater Cultural Heritage   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-72,01