New Research Could Rewrite the Story of One of New York's Earliest Shipwrecks

"In 1916, subway construction near Greenwich and Dey Streets in Lower Manhattan unearthed a surprising relic. Some 20 feet underground, workers turned up charred timber; digging further, the contours of an ancient ship came into view-its prow, keel, and ribs. The wreck was later deemed to be the Tyger, a 17th-century vessel that represents a rare archaeological trace of early Dutch exploration in Manhattan."

"The remains of the ship were donated to the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY) in the 1940s, where they've been held ever since. Now, the museum is turning a fresh eye on the artifacts to reassess their origins-and attribution-in partnership with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). In a joint research project beginning next month, the institutions will apply advanced scientific and historical techniques to the ship's timbers to better understand their significance."

""These ship timbers connect us directly to New York's earliest years as a crossroads of cultures, commerce, and exploration," Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, director and president of MCNY, said in a . The new study, she added, will "help uncover new insights into the city's 17th-century past.""

In 1916, subway construction near Greenwich and Dey Streets uncovered charred timbers and the contours of an ancient ship about 20 feet underground. The wreck was later identified as the Tyger, a 17th-century Dutch vessel linked to early European contact and trade in Manhattan. The timbers were donated to the Museum of the City of New York in the 1940s and have been preserved there. The museum and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands will launch a joint scientific and historical analysis of the ship's timbers to confirm attribution and illuminate early New York maritime history, including the Tyger's 1613 voyage, its fur cargo, and its destruction by fire.

Read at Artnet News