A wrecked ocean ship discovered decades ago off the coast of the Florida Keys was recently identified as a sunken British warship from the 18th century.
National Park Service archaeologists have used new findings to determine that the wreck first discovered near Dry Tortugas National Park in 1993 is the Royal Navy Tiger, the service reported last weekend. Announced in the release. The findings were recently published in the International Journal of Marine Archaeology.
Mysterious 19th century shipwreck washes up on snowy Canadian coastline: ‘beaten by the sea’
HMS Tiger was a 50-gun 4th class frigate built in 1647. She ran aground on the Dry Tortugas reef while on patrol during the Jenkins Ear War between England and Spain, and she sank in 1742.
“This discovery will allow the next generation of archaeologists, equipped with more advanced technology and research tools, to reexamine sites and make new discoveries,” marine archaeologist Josh Marano said in a statement. “This highlights the importance of proper preservation.”
This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows one of five coral-encrusted cannons discovered during a recent archaeological expedition in Florida’s Dry Tortugas National Park. Recorded by a diver. National Park Service archaeologists have identified archaeological remains belonging to HMS Tiger. 18th century British warship. This fourth class ship, carrying her 50 guns, ran aground on a reef in the Dry Tortugas Islands and sank while on patrol during the Jenkins Ear War between England and Spain in 1742. The remains of this historic shipwreck were first discovered in 1993, but new research has uncovered conclusive evidence. (Brett Seymour/National Park Service, via AP)
Archaeologists investigated the site in 2021 and discovered five cannons several hundred yards from the main wreck site, officials said. These cannons were found to have been thrown overboard when HMS Tiger first ran aground, and archaeologists have confirmed that the wreck is indeed the remains of her HMS Tiger.
Approximately 300 crew members were stranded on what is today Garden Cay for more than two months after the ship wrecked. They built a fort on the island more than a century before he founded Fort Jefferson. Fort Jefferson still remains on the island as a historic site.
The stranded survivors salvaged parts of the wrecked Tiger and built an ocean-going ship, then burned the rest of the ship to prevent its cannons from falling into enemy hands. The survivors used makeshift boats to travel 1,200 miles through enemy waters to British-controlled Port Royal, Jamaica.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The wreck of HMS Tiger and its associated artefacts are the sovereign property of the British Government in accordance with international treaties.
