Caribbean site we are working on

[monacoauctions]

For those that contacted me via the "what is it" section, some photo's from the site in the Caribbean we have been working for the last couple of years. At the moment we are talking with a governement in the Caribbean to open a museum there as a tourist attraction. It will cover the whole piracy era, re-create a dig and go on to cover the whole history of the region from Pre Columbus with several thousand original exhibits. From our site we have found many crosses, coins, pottery pieces and object from everyday life. The site appears to be some sort of semi-permanent camp used by pirates or traders around the early 1700's. The first picture is me in a defensive ditch that goes around 3 sides of the site. There will be a series of books to to with the museum using original artifacts to illustrate them, they are written and due to be printed later in the year.

[davew0710]

Sounds like a great project!
Keep us posted on your progress and finds.
Good luck.

[G.I.B.]

This sounds like an exciting undertaking with some wonderful possibilities ahead. We all look forward to many more posts with project updates.

Best of luck!

[Marc]

Wow! Awesome finds... and great post - good luck finding the buried chests of GOLD!

Marc

[monacoauctions]

Some further photo's, hopefully if we get the go ahead to build a museum we will be able to display a whole array of stuff ; we are not looking for any funding for this project as hopefully we will get a building at a very low rent and sales from the series of books will contribute to the costs. However anyone with any ideas or experience in marketing this type of venture would be welcome to contact me. There are thousands of items in store awaiting conservation/cleaning as everything has been left as found until we know exactly what direction the project is heading.

[monacoauctions]

Few more pics, C17/18th fishing hook/weights, knife with stamped date 1705 on blade with sharpening stone, C17/18th copper cook pot, cannon balls, Spanish ? cloak clasp in bronze, C17/18th ship's gaff. I am keen to hear opinions on how things should be on display - do you think it is better to do a big display with everything as found or go down the road of cleaning everything ? All museums i have been to seem to clean everything, my taste is to see artifacts as they have been found .

[Ramitt]

Awesome findes, thanks for sharing them. What are the little spoon like things in the first post? As fa as displaying, I gree leaving them as found only lightly cleaned is good, perhaps when you have multiple of the same item show it in various stages of cleaning.

[ScubaFinder]

Wow! Excellent finds. We are over here in the Dominican Republic and are about to begine our search for pirate Roberto Cofresi's Black Eagle which wrecked in our territory on the north coast of Hispaniola. We have a good idea where she lies, just haven't gotten out there with a mag yet to find her. When we do we might be interested in an artifact sharing program for your museum or something along those lines.

Keep us posted, really cool project man. I wish you the best of luck.

Jason

[RELICDUDE07]

Love it!!!!!

[ScubaFinder]

To go a step further, we have a slightly different approach to "cleaning artifacts" that you may find interesting. All artifacts should be conserved...but all that means is to stop the oxidation and remove any salts/chlorides or other impurities that might further degrade the condition of the artifact. However, once this is done, I see no need to polish them up to look like the day they were made. Most of our artifacts are from shipwrecks, and need conservation immediately upon removal from the water. I usually leave a few coral buttons or encrustation on everything because the artifacts are more interesting in their "as found" condition. So in my humble opinion, you should stop any degradation, but leave them looking like they just came out of the ground or water in most cases. Often it's nice to have a shined up cross pendant or something, but in general I like 'em still dirty.

My 2 cents anyways...keep us posted, and let me know when the books are available...I'll certainly own a set. Are you the author?

Jason

[curbdiggercarl57]

Good luck! Amazing finds there.

[ashlee1228]

absolutely amazing!

[monacoauctions]

The small bronze spoons on the log are made from bronze , they appear to be gunpowder measures, i can't think of any other use. A hoard of them were found , in total about 40 wrapped in what remained of a linen bag that just disintigrated. I would think that they were measures for a pistol as they are too small for a musket size measure of powder. Maybe they were a merchant's stock or were Navy ? there are no markings on any of them and they are all the same size, at a guess i would say they are late C17th or early C18th.

[dirtscratcher]

Living the dream. Thanks for sharing.

[jeff of pa]

Awsome Treasures !

Keep us Posted

JEFF

[woody50]

To go a step further, we have a slightly different approach to "cleaning artifacts" that you may find interesting. All artifacts should be conserved...but all that means is to stop the oxidation and remove any salts/chlorides or other impurities that might further degrade the condition of the artifact. However, once this is done, I see no need to polish them up to look like the day they were made. Most of our artifacts are from shipwrecks, and need conservation immediately upon removal from the water. I usually leave a few coral buttons or encrustation on everything because the artifacts are more interesting in their "as found" condition. So in my humble opinion, you should stop any degradation, but leave them looking like they just came out of the ground or water in most cases. Often it's nice to have a shined up cross pendant or something, but in general I like 'em still dirty.

My 2 cents anyways...keep us posted, and let me know when the books are available...I'll certainly own a set. Are you the author?

Jason

Yes Jason, that is the way to go with relics/artifacts. And that way they are much more valuable and interesting...

[pegleglooker]

bump

[Tank69]

wow keep us informed on what happens an show us more pics their great

[RELICDUDE07]

Find any new Trinkets?

[pegleglooker]

Ok as a novice.... what are the spoon things They look too small to be spoons.

PLL