- January 19, 2023
- Posted by: KBCF
- Category: Events
This lecture will have a complimentary reception at SALT Waterfront Restaurant on the Rosenstiel Campus, beginning at 6:30 PM. The lecture will begin promptly at 7:00 PM in the Rosenstiel auditorium. This lecture is also being offered virtually via Zoom.
Director of the Underwater Archaeology Program and the Scientific Diving and Boating Program at the UM Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Real Pirates of the Caribbean: The Search for and Study of Shipwrecks from Captain Morgan and Captain Kidd
One of the most romanticized aspects of history is that of pirates. What do we really know about pirates and what is fact and what is fiction? Little specific evidence of pirates and their actions exists in the archaeological record and, oftentimes, it is difficult to distinguish the identification and function of certain sites, features, and artifacts from being piratical or simply commonplace. In fact, finding a site and making the connection to piracy is a difficult assertion and sometimes controversial. Captain Henry Morgan and Captain William Kidd are two of the most famous pirates of all time. Join Dr. Hanselmann to learn about the search for and research into sunken pirate fleets in the Caribbean. Through comparative analysis of the archaeological and historical records coupled with ocean exploration, we can get a glimpse into the reality of what a pirate’s life truly meant and how underwater archaeological sites still live on in the modern day as marine protected areas. In a broader sense, archaeology is a science that allows us to interact with our past and, hopefully, informs our future.