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"Mardi Gras" Wrecksite
HOUSTON -- A Texas A&M University-led team of archaeologists and oceanographers found a cannon, cannon shot and a chest of weapons in the recovery of a two-century old shipwreck 4,000 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
"It's a fairly large arsenal," said Ben Ford, a nautical archaeologist at Texas A&M. "They were either out for mischief, or they were concerned about coming to some harm."
The 50-foot "Mardi Gras Wreck" was discovered in 2002 by employees of Okeanos Gas Gathering Co. as they surveyed the sea floor 35 miles off the Louisiana coast. The unidentified ship was named "Mardi Gras Wreck" after a nearby pipeline.full report of the investigation was published Wednesday by the U.S. Minerals Management Service. The minerals service and exploratory energy companies supported the excavation.
"We believe this shipwreck tells an important story about the role of the Gulf of Mexico during this period," said Jack Irion, an archaeologist with the minerals service.
Ford said in a story for Wednesday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle that the ship was probably either a schooner or sloop. Scientists could not determine its origin but say it probably sank between 1808 and 1820. Foul weather or a structural failure may have caused it to sink.
The ship carried British ceramics, a French spoon, Spanish coins, a gun cast in Scotland and other items that appear to have come from America.
The chest of weapons included carbines, rifles and swords. The searchers also found the remains of two compasses, an hourglass, two octants and a coffee maker.
Ford, the lead author of the report, was most impressed by the preservation of the artifacts such as the hourglass and glass bottles. He believes the fact that the ship was found in such deep waters accounted for the preservation since the fragile items were protected from waves.
The team last summer used two remotely operated vehicles to take video of the shipwreck and bring the artifacts to the surface.
HOUSTON -- A Texas A&M University-led team of archaeologists and oceanographers found a cannon, cannon shot and a chest of weapons in the recovery of a two-century old shipwreck 4,000 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
"It's a fairly large arsenal," said Ben Ford, a nautical archaeologist at Texas A&M. "They were either out for mischief, or they were concerned about coming to some harm."
The 50-foot "Mardi Gras Wreck" was discovered in 2002 by employees of Okeanos Gas Gathering Co. as they surveyed the sea floor 35 miles off the Louisiana coast. The unidentified ship was named "Mardi Gras Wreck" after a nearby pipeline.full report of the investigation was published Wednesday by the U.S. Minerals Management Service. The minerals service and exploratory energy companies supported the excavation.
"We believe this shipwreck tells an important story about the role of the Gulf of Mexico during this period," said Jack Irion, an archaeologist with the minerals service.
Ford said in a story for Wednesday's online edition of the Houston Chronicle that the ship was probably either a schooner or sloop. Scientists could not determine its origin but say it probably sank between 1808 and 1820. Foul weather or a structural failure may have caused it to sink.
The ship carried British ceramics, a French spoon, Spanish coins, a gun cast in Scotland and other items that appear to have come from America.
The chest of weapons included carbines, rifles and swords. The searchers also found the remains of two compasses, an hourglass, two octants and a coffee maker.
Ford, the lead author of the report, was most impressed by the preservation of the artifacts such as the hourglass and glass bottles. He believes the fact that the ship was found in such deep waters accounted for the preservation since the fragile items were protected from waves.
The team last summer used two remotely operated vehicles to take video of the shipwreck and bring the artifacts to the surface.
