Port
Royal - The Sunken City
Robert F. Marx
In the seventeenth century, Port
Royal was a legendary city, a city of vast wealth and pleasure-seeking, the home
port of the buccaneers. Today, Port Royal is a city of legends, legends of the
1692 earthquake and tidal wave that caused the city to sink beneath the sea, and
legends of the fortunes that may be buried there. Robert F. Marx was one of the
men caught up in those legends, and this book describes the fulfillment of his
childhood dream: a two-and-a-half year exploration of the historic Jamaican
port. The first investigation of the site by a trained marine archaeologist, his
expedition discovered thousands of perfectly preserved artifacts of life in the
17th century city: silver and pewter ware; brass, iron and wooden tools; and
much more, including two hoards of classic buried treasure: Spanish pieces of
eight.
But Port Royal did not easily give up its treasures: working on a painfully slim
budget, Marx and his rag-tag crew had to cope with murky, polluted waters;
inhospitable sharks, eels and crabs; razorsharp coral and ancient walls on the
verge of collapse; and the intractable opposition of some financial and
political interests. Blending real-life adventure, colourful history and the
thrill of discovery, Marx has written a fascinating account of one of the most
important marine archaeological expeditions ever undertaken.
Reviews:
In
a month of high quality publications, this engrossing book stands out as
something very special indeed. Part history, part memoir and part adventure
story, this is the tale of the author's excavations of Port Royal, a legendary
Jamaican port which was dubbed , 'the most wicked city in the world'. Most of
the book consists of Marx's heroic investigations of the site. Undaunted by
sharks, pollution, non-existent visibility and ancient walls on the verge of
collapse, he and his ragtag crew discovered thousands of artefacts, including
two hoards of Spanish pieces of eight. Marx even believes that this area may
hide the wrecks of two of Christopher Columbus' ships. This is one of the most
compelling accounts of an archaeological expedition I have ever read. Marx's
ability to bring history to life is extraordinary, and his account of the
dangerous excavations was pure Indiana Jones stuff. Port Royal The Sunken City
is a superb read, and one that I would recommend to anybody, whether or not they
are interested in marine archaeology.
DIVE Magazine Feb 2004
The author, Robert Marx, is a colourful and controversial character in the
archaeological business and not without his critics. He is well known for his
treasure-hunting expeditions around the world. Some say he sails close to the
wind in his navigation between archaeology and outright treasure hunting. Such a
controversial approach inevitably involves dramatic 'adventures' which, while
not necessarily gaining universal approval, assure the reader of a fascinating
and exciting ride.
John Bevan - Underwater Contractor International