Archaeologists have discovered new research that provides conclusive evidence that the remains of an 18th-century British warship lie in South Florida waters.
The discovery of the USS Tiger in the Dry Tortugas National Park dates back to 1993, but its existence has now been positively identified and provided additional protection under the 2004 Sunken Warships Act. According to international agreements, the British government has sovereign ownership. Exhibition of the wreckage of HMS Tiger and related artefacts.
“This discovery highlights the importance of preserving sites in the right places so that the next generation of archaeologists, equipped with more advanced technology and research tools, can reexamine them and make new discoveries.” said marine archaeologist Josh Marano, who led the team that made the discovery. discovery.
The Tiger, built in 1647, ran aground on a reef in the Dry Tortugas in 1742 while on patrol during the Jenkins Ear War between England and Spain, according to the National Park Service.
In 2021, archaeologists from Dry Tortugas National Park, Submerged Resource Center, and Southeast Archaeological Center investigated the site using clues from historical research. They discovered five cannons approximately 500 yards from the main wreck site.
In the margins of old logbooks, there are references to how the crew “lightened forward” the ship after it first ran aground, briefly refloated the ship, and then sank in shallow water. It had been buried, NPS said.
After analyzing their size, characteristics and location, researchers determined that the guns discovered were British 6-pounder and 9-pounder guns that were thrown overboard when the Tiger first ran aground. pointed out.
The International Journal of Marine Archeology recently published research that led archaeologists to convincingly claim that a shipwreck discovered in 1993 is the remains of HMS Tiger.
“Archaeological discoveries are exciting, but connecting those discoveries with the historical record helps tell the story of the people who came before us and the events they experienced,” said Park Manager James. Crutchfield said. “This special story is one of perseverance and survival. National parks can help protect these untold stories as they come to light.”
A similar warship, HMS Foley, was lost in what is now Biscayne National Park in 1748, according to the NPS. She is currently in the custody of the US Navy and Royal Navy.
History of HMS Tiger and Dry Tortugas National Park
Approximately 300 crew members were stranded at Garden Cay for 66 days after the wreck of HMS Tiger, according to the NPS. They are the park’s main cultural resource, Fort Jefferson.He was responsible for building the first fort on the island more than 100 years earlier.
The NPS said the crew battled extreme heat, mosquitoes and thirst as they built a ship from Tiger’s wreckage, and made multiple attempts to call for help. After an unsuccessful attack on the Spanish ship, the surviving crew burned the remainder of the Tiger to prevent its weapons from falling into enemy hands. They then traveled 700 miles to Port Royal, Jamaica, using a makeshift boat.
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Fort Jefferson National Monument under the Antiquities Act to preserve the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, the NPS notes.
Congress expanded the monument in 1983 and redesignated it as Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992. South Florida values. ”
