Montezuma’s Revenge: Re-examining Archeological and Historical Interpretations of a 19th-century shipwreck at Boca Chica Beach, Texas
Author(s): Amy A Borgens
Year: 2018
Summary
On the beach near the Mexican border, the ghostly remains of a shipwreck known as Boca Chica No. 2 periodically emerge after major storm events. This 72-ft. wooden vessel first came to the attention of the Texas Historical Commission in 1999 and has been monitored by the agency since that time. Local folklore has long associated this shipwreck with the Mexican warship Bravo (Montezuma), incidentally the most famous wreck in the area, but archeological evidence from the hull itself suggests otherwise. An examination of the history of Bravo and its sinking by the Texas Navy schooner Invincible in 1836 illuminates historic and modern misconceptions of not only this defining naval engagement but the essence of the ship itself. This paper summarizes archeological observations of Boca Chica No. 2 from 1999-2007 and explores the mystery of Bravo as a both a historic vessel and wreck candidate.
Cite this Record
Montezuma’s Revenge: Re-examining Archeological and Historical Interpretations of a 19th-century shipwreck at Boca Chica Beach, Texas. Amy A Borgens. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441450)
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Keywords
General
Coastal
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Mexican Navy
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Shipwreck
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
19th 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): 796