Shipwrecks discovered from ‘Golden Age of Piracy’ in 18th century Bahamas – National

Deep under the glimmering waters of the Bahamas, a fleet of shipwrecks linked to 18th-century pirates from the “Golden Age of Piracy” has been discovered by a team of archaeologists and filmmakers, marking the first time the sites have ever been explored.

In a breakthrough that evokes the adventures of the famous Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, the New Providence Pirates Expedition, helmed by marine archaeologist and project co-director Sean Kingsley, dived to new depths in a previously inaccessible area of Nassau Harbour, unearthing artifacts that provided a wealth of insight into the livelihoods of real-life pirates in the region.

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Nassau is the capital of New Providence, the Bahamas’ most populous island, and was once a notorious pirate stronghold. According to Kingsley, the team’s discoveries revealed that the pirate settlement resembled “a combination of a cowboy frontier and an 18th-century holiday camp,” rather than the pirate imagery often portrayed in popular culture.

In 1718, Woodes Rogers, then the governor of New Providence, noted the presence of 40 shipwrecks on Nassau’s shore, according to the expedition, but none were ever touched until now.

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“Thanks to Hollywood, everyone loves the legend,” Kingsley said in a statement shared with Global News, “but beyond the fantasy, nobody knows how these sea dogs really lived, what their ‘Piratetown’ looked like and what happened to the vehicles of their mayhem, wooden ships.”

Rough, shark-infested seas and regular rip tides make venturing down to the shipwrecks an arduous task, and a “risky expedition with high chances of finding nothing,” explorer and project filmmaker Chris Atkins said in the statement.

Through a series of dives in and around Nassau, and with guidance from local divers, six wrecks were discovered, along with iron cannons, a grinding stone for sharpening swords and lead musket balls, just 35 kilometres east of Nassau, the expedition crew confirmed, which added that it was helped along by excellent visibility and “crystal clear” waters.

“The whole wreck was laid out before us,” project co-director Michael Pateman said.

“The ship was heavily armed, especially with swivel guns, the cannon of choice for pirates. Slotted onto deck rails, these anti-personnel weapons raked devastating fire on enemy crews.”

Inside the harbour, the team discovered a stone ballast pile still pinning down its charred wooden hull, he continued. The ship’s planks and frames were connected by wooden treenails, in typical 18th-century shipbuilding style, he explained.

“After seizing a ship and taking its cargo, cannon and fittings, pirates had to get rid of all signs of their crime. Burning ships to the waterline was an infamous tactic to hide a felony from authorities,” Pateman said.

“The Nassau hull shows all the signs of pirate mischief.”

Another wreck, located beneath an old bridge, revealed hull planks, rigging, glass bottles and bricks from the vessel’s galley.

The team also unearthed dozens of clay tobacco pipes decorated with unicorns, horses and crowns, which Pateman identified as the royal crest of England, along with wooden shipping crates. Their preservation was “a miracle,” he said.

The discoveries were documented for a series produced by Kingsley and Atkins for Wreckwatch TV, along with a historically accurate 3D digital model of Nassau’s Piratetown around 1715.

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