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| The Price of Freedom is Eternal Vigilance - John F. Kennedy |
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Children's Trip To The Buen Consejo Archaeological Preserve |
| Publishing date: 31.07.2009 10:53 |
On Saturday July 25th the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society conducted a field trip for a number of children, and their parents, to the site where El Buen Consejo wrecked on the coast of Anguilla in 1772. The trip began in Island Harbour with a fifteen minute introduction by UK Maritime Archaeologist Lilli Azevedo-Grout who explained how the ship wrecked and what we could learn from the site today. The children and their chaperones then carpooled to the end of the road to Junks Hole and carefully hiked to the site. At the site the students learned how artefacts are recorded in situ and their locations plotted with GPS.
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Children on tour
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They then had the chance to carefully explore the area to find other evidence of the shipwreck. Don Mitchell QC, a member of the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society, was most informative as he introduced concepts relating to Anguilla’s geology, botany and history. The group returned to debrief and look at a photo gallery of recent underwater photos taken at the site by a team of maritime archaeologists. This experience was very exciting and educational for the children, who, for most, it was their first time exposed to the tools, processes and purpose of surveying a real life archaeological site.
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Children on tour
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El Buen Consejo left Spain for Mexico in May 1772. She was a large ship called a Nao, weighing over 900 tons and carrying a cargo of missionaries and their supplies to Mexico and the Phillipines. On July 8, 1772, at 1:30 in the morning, the ship ran aground at Junks Hole. Survivors flooded the island, placing huge demands on Anguilla's meagre resources. Help and aid was requested from surrounding islands and the crisis alleviated only after the majority of passengers were removed. In 1996, the site was declared an Underwater Archaeological Preserve.
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Other members of the touring party
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Gratitude is expressed to Jan and Liz at the Art Café for providing the group with a meeting place.
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