Wrecks and Wrecking in St. Georges, Bermuda: An Archaeology & History of Economic Opportunism

The remains of ships abandoned and salvaged in and around 81. Georges Island, Bermuda have been neglected by historical and archaeological researchers. Unlike their shipwrecked counterparts, these collections of discarded watercraft are a cross-section of economic and technological change in Bermuda, and also allow us to see the deliberate decision making processes designed to gain recompense from old or unwanted vessels, or to take advantage of geographic position and economic circumstances that would see over-priced repairs bring monetary gain, or lucrative collections of scrap metal and timber into Bermuda. The vessels still found in and around 81. Georges also represent an opportunity to examine the social and economic meaning of Bermuda to visiting ships. This proposal hopes to discover the extent of ship breaking activities and their archaeological remains via historical research and archaeological search and survey in the hope of, 1) studying the role of geographical and economic factors in archaeological site formation, 2) creating an inventory of a fleet of significant vessels currently at risk from development and, 3) providing management recommendations for the Government of Bermuda.

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