Gold Religious Artifact Recovered by MRR!

After beginning the 1715 season with an initial shakedown of MRR’s three vessels on the Douglas Beach site, the MRR Fleet did an expedition to the Corrigan’s wreck site. On June 4th, the teams’ third day on site, the vessel Capitana made an extraordinary recovery of a gold religious artifact. This artifact could possibly be a reliquary or a vessel to carry the Host.

The gold religious artifact displayed with a K’ang Hsi artifact recovered in the same area.

The recovery was made while working in a nearshore area of the site, under contract with 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, LLC. Diver Kenton Dickerson recovered the magnificent artifact, which is inscribed “IHS”—a Christian symbol for Jesus Christ.

The letters IHS, a symbol for Jesus Christ, are inscribed beneath the encrustation.

This remarkable artifact is the first major recovery to be made by the MRR team during the 2019 season on the famed wreck sites of the 1715 Plate Fleet.

MRR diver Kenton Dickerson recovered the religious artifact.

While the Capitana, captained by Dan Porter, has been conducting archaeological excavations in the nearshore area during this expedition, MRR’s other two vessels have been making recoveries nearby. The Sea Reaper has recovered more than 100 lead musket balls, as well as a portion of a silver fork. The Seatrepid, captained by Levin Shavers and John Brandon, has been conducting excavations in a nearshore area to the south of the Capitana, recovering musket balls, pottery and lead sheathing.

Dan Porter, managing member of MRR and captain of the vessel that made the recovery.

More recoveries are expected to be made as the Maritime Research & Recovery teams continue excavations on the Corrigan's wreck site.