200-year-old shipwreck found in Gulf of Mexico

Published on May 17th, 2012 | by Sevaan Franks

The remains of a 200 year old shipwreck, complete with glass bottles, ceramic plates and boxes of muskets, has been found in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Artifacts in and around the wreck and the hull’s copper sheathing may date the vessel to the early to mid-19th century,” Jack Irion, a maritime archaeologist with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said in a statement.

The first hint of the shipwreck came in 2011, when a sonar survey by Shell Oil Company turned up an unknown blip on the seafloor. BOEM requested that NOAA explore such unknown blips during a recent expedition by the ship Okeanos Explorer. The ship returned April 29 from its 56-day mission exploring unknown areas of the Gulf.

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Story: Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience | Photo: NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program

Tags: Gulf of Mexico, Shipwrecks