Underwater archaeologists are digitally 3-D mapping the sunken ruins of underwater pirate city Port Royal, Jamaica.
Located in what’s now called Kingston Harbor, the city of Port Royal was the British center of the Caribbean in the 1600’s.
In 1654, the Brits seized the island from the Spanish and erected Fort Cromwell. Quickly after that, some 2,000 buildings were packed onto 51 acres.
Most of the buildings were taverns and whorehouses. This is because the island was a hotbed of pirates and privateers contracted by the British government to raid ships in the Caribbean.
Some 8,000 pirates, slaves and whores lived on the island at any given time.
Then on the fateful day of June 7th, 1692, the entire city of Port Royal was destroyed by earthquake, quicksand and a tsunami.
The whole island sank so swiftly that it remains sealed in time down at the bottom of the ocean. Currently encased in 6-10 feet of coral, the island is often called the ‘Pompeii of the New World‘.
And thanks to new technologist, underwater archaeologists are finally uncovering the secrets of Port Royal. So stay tuned.
