A Question of Identity: Lessons From the 1916 World Trade Center Shipwreck

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In 1916, workmen excavating a tunnel for the New York City subway uncovered a ship’s badly charred keel along with several Dutch artifacts. The construction foreman, unable to fully excavate the wreck, managed to retrieve the exposed part of it and document its location. The foreman believed the wreck belonged to the Tijger, a 17th century Dutch fur trading ship captained by Adriaen Block. Construction of the World Trade Center 50 years later in 1966 provided an opportunity to recover the remainder of the wreck—an opportunity which was squandered. Since 1966, scholars have debated the ship’s identity. This poster presents evidence for and against the ship’s identity as the Tijger, concluding that the wreck’s size and construction are inconsistent with Dutch seagoing vessels of the time. This misidentified ship’s story provides a case study for diligent documentation and continued investigation of archaeological resources.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023   •
• 2023 SHA Poster Submissions

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow