Is There Evidence For Jewish Pirates Archaeologically?

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

While piracy is a modern phenomenon as much as an ancient one, piratical theory has been relatively opaque until recent years. Smugglers, buccaneers, and freebooter's fluidity and capriciousness is not reflected in the black-and-white morality of a quintessential pirate. Using modern pirate theory, this paper looks at the historical and archaeological remnants of the 'Jewish' pirate during the time and aftermath of the Spanish Inquisition. Sinan, Hayreddin Barbarossa’s captain and the famous Barbary corsair, is considered against engravings and other material evidence of his voyages. Jewish pirates attested in the historical record of Jamaica are compared with gravestones in Hunt’s Bay cemetery. Looking at this niche sect of pirates not only focuses the theoretical "push" and "pull" mechanisms of piracy, but also forces us to reconsider documented historical narratives. Lastly, it calls into question the ethnicity of a pirate, viewing them as individuals as opposed to a homogenous group.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2023 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow