Treasure Coast Dune Finds

[jim/wpb]

I found these two items among a variety of bronze ship spikes, hinges, nails, and clasps on an eroded dune on the Treasure Coast. The other bronze ship spikes found are same as those found on 1715 wrecks.

This is the condition that they were when they came out of the dune. No corrosion and very limited patina. It looks as though they were cast into something by the indentations you see. Puzzled....

Any idea what these could be? I can't find pictures on the net that come anywhere close

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[stevemc]

They are corroded and the color is the patina. They have been wallowing for 300 years, and have some corrosion and pitting from the sea and I am sure from sand moving around it. If they werent corroded they would be smooth. But they dont have any coralline or anything like that. Bronze is very corrosion resistant, but years do take their toll. Very nice. I am sure that corrosion and wear could have happened in the first 20 years or whatever, before it was buried for good. Probably still corroded under the sand. I would like to see the other stuff.

 

[jim/wpb]

Hi Steve, I posted a few more pictures in the original post.

 

[stevemc]

Very nice Jim! Pretty cool to find all those artifacts. The third looks like a hinge strap. I dont know what the ornate thing is. There is a modern ring nail on the right in the first photo.

 

[mad4wrecks]

It looks like 19th century period to me.

Tom

 

[Southern_Digger]

Jim, Saw this a few days ago but could only get to my computer to reply now. I have found a few examples of the square pin stake on the left of the first photo. They were found in a Turpentine Camp (Jupiter); a lumber mill site (Flagler County); and west of Indian River in the dunes--which once served as a pineapple plantation. From site orientation, I date these from post Civil War era and into the 1880's. I, too, found the remains of a dry land wreck--an early 19th century longboat. On that coastal river location I excavated over 50 bronze spikes (broken and whole). There were two different sizes. Also, many pieces of heavy copper sheathing; an iron oarlock; and, an iron bow ring. All found along a coastal river. I will write something about it someday but have not decided on the type of magazine which would publish the story.

 

[jim/wpb]

Thanx Southern Digger. My original post was for the round bronze spikes that have a wedge shape to the ends. I was puzzled as to what these were used for. If they are spikes, I would think that they would split whatever you drove them into. Maybe sometype of pin?