The cannons from a known archaeological site (a shipwreck) in White House Bay, St. Kitts, have been stolen. The site, recorded in 2003 by the Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeology Team (ADMAT), was initially discovered with 13 cannons. The vessel, a British troopship sunk during the Battle for Frigate Bay in 1782, was uncovered during a hurricane in the 1990s.

This single cannon is all that remains from a group of cannons and artefacts remembered by Raymon Haskins as a boy. Photo courtesy author

The site was heavily looted following its discovery. By the time Simon Spooner and a team of archaeologists from ADMAT recorded the site during a field project in 2003, five cannons remained. In 2008 I visited the site while researching the underwater heritage of the region. I photographed one of the remaining two cannons (see picture). This month, I learned from a source in St. Kitts that these last cannons had disappeared.
The site lies in shallow water, in a sheltered bay, ideal for snorkelling. On a clear day, the cannons were clearly visible, close to shore, even without a mask. The area was popular among snorkellers and there were plans to create interpretive signs which would have led snorkellers on a tour of the site, introduced them to St. Kitts’ heritage, and encouraged them not to disturb the remains. The loss of the cannons, as the site’s most identifiable features, is unfortunate.
Significantly, the destruction of the site and the removal of these cannons are symptoms of a regional trend. For decades, the Caribbean’s heritage has been systematically removed and dispersed. Removing cannons to sell or display has consistently and regularly occurred. During a July survey with the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society, the University of Southampton and I located and recorded 15 previously undocumented cannons throughout Anguilla’s waters. We know that at least one of these cannons was originally part of a larger site. The individual who shared its location remembered diving the area as a child and seeing numerous cannons and artefacts. Today, one cannon remains, a lonely reminder of the permanent effects of looting.

One of the stolen cannons from White House Bay, June 2008

Archaeologists use cannons and other large artefacts to discover and map the boundaries of a site. Sometimes cannons and other heavy artefacts are all that remain after centuries of hurricanes and surge. Their locations are not random. They can tell a story of how the ship wrecked. Their removal makes it difficult for archaeologists to locate associated but smaller remains. Without cannons and anchors, archaeologists struggle to collect enough information to determine the nature of the site and whether it was a vessel, a single artefact, or even part of terrestrial fortifications that have eroded into the sea.
The loss of the White House bay cannons is a warning to all Islands. Underwater heritage is a finite resource. Cannons and artefacts in-situ on the sea floor are a treasure. They are potential heritage attractions and rich sources of knowledge about the past.
About the author - Lillian Azevedo is a Maritime Archaeologist from the University of Southampton currently writing her PhD thesis on the Underwater Cultural Heritage of Anguilla. She is documenting the resource and investigating methods so that heritage can be sustainably used to benefit Anguilla. Her research is sponsored by Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society. If you would like to reach her or learn more about her work, and the Anguilla Archaeological and Historical Society, please contact AAHS at www.aahsanguilla.com or Lillian at maritimearcheology@gmail.com.

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