Barges, Battlefields, and Ferry Slips: A Study of Archaeological Findings and Site Formation Processes in Rockley Bay, Tobago

Abstract

The Rockley Bay Research Project (RBRP), under the auspices of the University of Connecticut and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, conducted surveys and excavations between 2012 and 2016 in search of the vessels lost in the Action of March 1677 in Rockley Bay, Tobago. The project surveyed for the squadron of defending Dutch vessels under the command of Jacob Binckes, on Beschermer, and the French squadron under the command of Comte d’Estrees, on the flagship Glorieux, and any material from those vessels that remained in context. RBRP positively identified only one vessel, Huis de Kreuningen, as a wreck from that event and time period. This thesis evaluates the historical and archaeological contribution of the project through the assessment of site formation processes, threats to the sites from harbor development and shipping, and the implementation of legal policy to ensure best management practices. Increased cultural transforms, particularly from an expanding tourism sector, will likely be the most detrimental force to the underwater cultural heritage of Tobago. This thesis also suggests future avenues of research and policy in Trinidad and Tobago.