Finding a Needle in a Stack of Needles: Using Experimental Archaeology to Find Shipwrecks of Hernan Cortés

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Plus Ultra: An examination of current research in Spanish Colonial/Iberian Underwater and Terrestrial Archaeology in the Western Hemisphere." , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In 1519, Hernán Cortés ordered ten of his eleven ships scuttled in response to two mutinies. Prior to the scuttling event, contemporary chroniclers, including Cortés, described stripping the vessels of all usable items such as ground tackle, ordnance, and selected fasteners. In 2018, the Lost Ships of Cortés Project began geophysical surveys off Mexico’s Gulf coast to locate remains of this fleet. Archaeologists recognized that the magnetic signatures of Cortés’ ships may be difficult to discern due to volcanic sands in the project area. In 2019 project archaeologists collaborated with LAMP and conducted an experimental magnetometer survey of the Spring Break Wreck. The goal of the survey was to create a magnetic model to be used as a baseline for interpreting sixteenth century vessel remains. This paper explores results from the survey and discusses low amplitude target identification and assessment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Plus Ultra: An examination of current research in Spanish Colonial/Iberian Underwater and Terrestrial Archaeology in the Western Hemisphere.

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 845