Date: early 16th century
Depth: 6 meters (20 feet)
Location: Molasses Reef, Turks and Caicos Islands
Project Director: Donald H. Keith
Dates of Excavation: 1982-1986
“Situated on the remote southwest rim of the Caicos Bank, Molasses Reef is a natural ship trap. Between 1982 and 1986, we completely excavated a shipwreck dating to a very early period of European presence in the Americas. Little was known about the ships of that period of exploration because those ships were not built using architectural plans.” - Donald H. Keith and Toni Carrell
“Arriving at Molasses Reef on 4 April 1982, the archaeologists had an unpleasant surprise: a huge crater, made by explosions and enlarged by frenzied digging, occupied the center of the ballast mound. The remains of home-made pipe bombs and intentionally mutilated artifacts lay scattered across the seabed.” - Donald H. Keith
The Molasses Reef wreck, discovered by treasure hunters who thought it might be the wreck of Columbus’ famous Pinta, the Molasses Reef wreck proved to be a ship of the early 16th century that was heavily armed when it was lost on the reef. The project was marked by legal threats and destruction at the site as the team first arrived, but under Donald Keith, INA and the Texas A&M team prevailed, learning a great deal from a damaged and yet very important site. While the wooden hull had disintegrated, the ship’s iron fittings, including an incredible array or armament – swivel guns, cannon, shoulder arms, crossbows, swords, shot and grenades – provided a unique look at what this type of vessel carried. Analysis of its stone ballast, which lay in a mound on the reef, suggests that the ship was built in or around Lisbon, Portugal.