Fall Research Semester 2000
Bermuda

The objective of the 2000 fall research semester was to continue documenting an 18^th century shipwreck approximately four miles off Bermuda’s southwest shore.  First discovered in 1998, the “Iron Knee Wreck” is named after several cast iron knees found on the site.  Students participating in the 1999 research semester, under the direction of Dr. Gordon Watts, initiated site mapping, recovered one of the knees, and began the lengthy conservation process by removing a thick concretion, drawing the knee to scale, and placing the artifact in a fresh water holding tank.  This year’s students also found the wreck's iron knees to be the most distinctive feature of the site and recovered a second and third knee.  Curiously, the remaining features of the wreck indicate late 18^th century construction.  Thus, the Iron Knee Wreck represents at least one builder’s novel approach to wooden ship construction, if not a milestone in the transition from wood to iron ship construction.

Iron Knee Site
Conservation
Royal Navy Dockyard
Underwater Classroom/Guest Lectures
Crew