An 18th-Century Ship to North America? A Case Study of the Baleineaux 3 Shipwreck (Island of Ré, France)

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by: AREPMAREF Association; Nantes University UMR CNRS 6566 CReAAH; Ernest-Cognacq Museum of Saint-Martin; Department of Underwater Archaeological Research of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (DRASSM); Sylvie Labroche and Stéphane Lemoine, Arc’Antique Laboratory Grand Patrimoine Loire-Atlantique; Nùria Rovira (UMR 5140 Valéry-Montpellier 3 University); Véronique Gendrot (French Ministry of Culture and Communication, regional office for archaeology in Bretagne). Many thanks also to Athena Trakadas and the anonymous reviewers of this article.

Author Contributions

The co-authors contributed equally on the production of this paper.

Permission Statement

Excavation and research into the site and material culture were carried out under the auspices of the Department of Underwater Archaeological Research of the French Ministry of Culture and Communication (DRASSM) within the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). Data and material from the shipwreck reside in the care of the Ernest Cognacq Museum (Saint-Martin-de-Ré). The first author is employed by French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and the National Center for Scientific Research in Nantes University, UMR 6566 CReAAH.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For reasons of integrity of the object and its conservation, it is impossible to remove the iron concretion under water. Only by lifting and then treatment by electrolysis in a specialised laboratory would make it possible to see certain discrete characteristics of the guns. At present, such an undertaking is not feasible in terms of cost and storage of the cannon parts.

2 ‘Règlement au sujet des engagez et fusils qui doivent estre portez par les navires marchands aux colonies des isles francoises de l'Amérique et de la Nouvelle France, avec les Lettres patentes … pour l'enregistrement dudit règlement … Registré en Parlement’ [on December 22nd 1716], In-4°, 11 p. Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Droit, économie, politique, F-21076 (84).

3 The analysis was carried out by Nùria Rovira, archaeobotanist (carpologist) at the UPVM3 Archaeology of Mediterranean Societies (UMR 5140), Paul Valéry-Montpellier 3 University.