Southack's Map
An actual survey of the sea coast from New York to the I. Cape Briton.
001630723; Harvard Map Collection Digital Maps; Harvard College Library; Harvard University
Barry Clifford learned about the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" from his Uncle Bill when he was 12 years old. He listened to tales of piracy and violent storms that claimed more than 3,000 ships. One story that captured his imagination and sent him on a decades long treasure hunt was that of the 1717 shipwreck of the Whydah.
In 1983 Clifford's search began by visiting libraries. He found many historical documents and more importantly, Southack's detailed map, journals and letters. These became Clifford's most valuable tools in his search for the lost treasure. Armed with this information, he believed he knew where along the Cape Cod coast to begin his search for the Whydah.
Barry Clifford
Barry Clifford is one of the world's best-known underwater archaeological explorers and has been involved in the survey and/or recovery of over fifty wrecks around Cape Cod and the Islands.
Bill Curtsinger © 2008 National Geographic
Why has it taken over 300 years to find her? The most likely answer is that the sand over the debris field is 10 to 30 feet deep. Add to this the cold water temperature of the North Atlantic, the violent sudden storms that appear in a moment's notice, the area was used as a test bombing site in WWII and the sea floor is littered with the debris of nearly 3,000 ships that had wrecked in the area over the past 300 years.
Undaunted by these obstacles, Clifford and his team began the search. They initially found nothing. Clifford's team persevered and on July 23, 1984 they found a concreted cannon in the debris field of the possible wreck location. Spurred on by this find, they continued their hunt and in the Fall of 1985 found conclusive evidence that the wreck site was indeed that of the Whydah, the Whydah's bell!
~~ Artifact Recovery & Conservation ~~
