Some finds of interest under the reclaimed seabed of the Silo Precinct, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
By:
Tim Hart & Jaco Boshoff
Date:
Tue, 09/02/2016 - 18:00
Venue:
SA Astronomical Observatory auditorium
Branch:
Western Cape
In 1999 the Chavonnes Battery was identified under fills near the Clock Tower area which resulted in a large excavation and subsequent preservation of the site in perpetuity under the BOE building where it is now a museum.
Continued development of the adjacent silo precinct has continued to reveal a trove of archaeological and heritage surprises that lay on the seabed of Table Bay, including numerous maritime items such as wooden spars and planks, rigging, blocks (pulleys) and even a ships capstan as well as litter thrown off ships, e.g. shoes and crockery. The finds were all made within the context of a construction site. Significant among the finds was a shipwreck excavated by Liesbet Schietecatte and Jaco Boshoff which has revealed a number of surprises after analysis of its structure and the timber from which it was built.
Almost as enigmatic was an enormous dump of Victorian naval artillery shells which posed some interesting problems after it was established that many were still live. In our presentation we will reveal our interpretation of these finds, where they came from and how they got to be on the seabed of Table Bay.
Recent excavation, V & A Waterfront.
Photo: Tim Hart.
Continued development of the adjacent silo precinct has continued to reveal a trove of archaeological and heritage surprises that lay on the seabed of Table Bay, including numerous maritime items such as wooden spars and planks, rigging, blocks (pulleys) and even a ships capstan as well as litter thrown off ships, e.g. shoes and crockery. The finds were all made within the context of a construction site. Significant among the finds was a shipwreck excavated by Liesbet Schietecatte and Jaco Boshoff which has revealed a number of surprises after analysis of its structure and the timber from which it was built.
Almost as enigmatic was an enormous dump of Victorian naval artillery shells which posed some interesting problems after it was established that many were still live. In our presentation we will reveal our interpretation of these finds, where they came from and how they got to be on the seabed of Table Bay.
Recent excavation, V & A Waterfront.
Photo: Tim Hart.