Cobb County, North Carolina.One of the most important maritime archaeology discoveries in recent North Carolina history was the result of a normal summer field research. According to Knewz, graduate students from East Carolina University’s Program in Maritime Studies unintentionally discovered what may be the wreckage of La Fortuna, a Spanish privateer that exploded during an attack in 1748 off the waterfront of Brunswick Town.
At the Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, which is already well-known for its extensive colonial maritime history, the wreck was situated. In the last days of King George’s War, La Fortuna, which is thought to have sailed from Cuba, met a horrific end close to the colonial wharves. According to reports, the explosion dispersed debris along the Cape Fear River, where the remains of the wreck might have been hidden for almost 250 years under silt and clay layers.
A Chance Encounter Beneath the Cape Fear
As part of a mapping project, graduate student Cory van Hees described the discovery moment while measuring Wharf Four. The pupils could hardly see more than a few feet in front of them due to the poor visibility in the murky Cape Fear River waters. At that point, van Hees saw a number of wooden frames sticking out of the muck, with some faint planking showing on the outside. Unaware of the significance at first, he informed his teachers, and shortly maritime archaeologist Dr. Jason Raupp verified that the location was indeed a shipwreck.
Materials found in early wood samples from the site were in line with shipbuilding techniques used in the Spanish Caribbean colonies in the eighteenth century. In order to safeguard the remains from continued erosion, storms, and river traffic, the discovery triggered an emergency retrieval.
Preserving a Colonial-Era Relic
During the salvage operation, around 40 pieces of lumber were found. Many portions of the original vessel were amazingly well preserved and still bore tool marks from the original builders, despite the fact that it had long since fallen apart. The timbers were sent to the Queen Anne’s Revenge Conservation Laboratory at ECU for conservation treatment after being moved to the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology.
The crash site is near the location of a cannon that was recovered in 1985 and is thought to have come from La Fortuna. The idea that the wreck is, in fact, the notorious privateer is supported by its close proximity.
A Window Into North Carolina s Maritime History
Four shipwrecks in the Brunswick Town site were documented as part of a larger project that included the La Fortuna discovery. A flatboat from the colonial era that was used to transport goods, a boat that was thought to have been used to expand shoreline land, and an unnamed wreck that was just partially visible above the riverbed were among the other discoveries.
Historic port features like timber-crib wharves, a marsh causeway, and relics that depict the colony’s everyday activities, commerce, and military fortifications were also charted by archaeologists. Rare information on the Cape Fear River’s military and commercial significance in the middle of the 18th century is offered by these discoveries.
From Accident to Archaeological Treasure
The revelation has had a significant emotional impact on van Hees and his classmates. “Once it set in, it was a little emotional and overwhelming,” van Hees added. The discovery of a wreckage that has the potential to change a chapter in North Carolina’s colonial past culminated what started out as a regular measurement dive.
Although more research is required to definitively identify the wreck as La Fortuna, archaeologists are encouraged by the location, historical documents, and discovered artifacts. For the time being, the finding serves as a reminder that mysteries from the era of sails, cannons, and privateers still exist in the waters near North Carolina.
Do you believe that the Cape Fear River still conceals further historical treasures?Send us a comment atSaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
