Especial NAyA Volumen 2
ARCHIVE RESEARCH APPLIED TO A CONSERVATION PROJECT OF A SEVENTEENTH CENTURY SHIPWRECK: NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL JUNCAL
Patricia Meehan Hermanson[1]
Introduction
One of the aspects that the Research Project of the 1630-1631 Fleet of New Spain realized by the Vicedirectorate on Underwater Archaeology of the National Institute of Anthropology and History has considered important to establish is conservation…conservation not only of material artifacts, but of the entire shipwreck. The goal is the stabilization of the physical remains, as well as the conservation of the information that they can provide. Hopefully, this project will be able to successfully combine the conservation with the other aspects of the anthropological project. In order to accomplish this it will be necessary to interconnect with the other disciplines and techniques that are being carried out.
Today, adequate conservation is one of the basic limitations that underwater archaeology faces. The difficulty of stabilizing artifacts and wooden structures that have laid under the sea for hundreds of years is still a problem. This is now being taken into serious consideration in the excavation and research of shipwrecks. Recently, some important projects have even sacrificed the retrieval of material remains, because the conservation can not yet be guaranteed.
Even though this project involves the study of the complete fleet, so far the research of historical documents has only uncovered information that may lead to the discovery of the flagship, Nuestra Señora del Juncal. The flagship of the fleet sank a few days after departure, but left 39 survivors, some of whose testimonies have been recorded. The finding of Nuestra Señora del Juncal has been one of the prime objectives of searches conducted at sea up until now. Even though this ship has not been located, the corresponding conservation and management plan must be elaborated.
The objectives of this project are:
1. To propose the methodology that should be followed for the conservation, disclosure and exhibition of Nuestra Señora del Juncal.
2. To create a methodological model of conservation research and procedures for other archaeological projects.
The methodology used in the conservation of structures and artifacts found in a shipwreck differs from that used on those found on land.
1. In a shipwreck a great number and variety of artifacts and structures are usually found. When the environment has been favorable for its preservation, a shipwreck is composed of a structure (the ship itself) brought together by a great number of parts, many of which are large and heavy. Also to be found are the numerous objects carried on board, including artillery, instruments, and cargo to name a few. Previous knowledge of what to expect enables a rapid identification and conservation of these artifacts.
2. Objects that have been immersed for hundreds of years undergo deterioration processes that are different from those on land environments. Surprising though it may seem, some artifacts are better preserved underwater than on land. Nevertheless, the methods used to treat the findings are quite different.
3. The time and space available for in situ preservation actions and lifting is very limited, and very costly. The organizing, stabilizing and packing of artifacts is carried out in limited space, usually aboard ship or in a temporary field laboratory if the site is near land. Transportation to the permanent conservation laboratories is also carefully planned, since most artifacts must be carried in pre-designed containers filled with water. This, of course, increases considerably their volume and weight.
4. Conservation treatments for underwater archaeological objects are very complex and time consuming. The comprehension of the deterioration processes that some types of materials undergo in an underwater environment, and their later extraction (their exposure to a completely different environment), is still not complete. Therefore, research on conservation treatments for some materials has not yet reached the stage at which their stabilization can be assured.
5. When the artifacts reach the permanent conservation laboratory they must be received by a team of experts who, in turn, require special installations and equipment to carry out the treatments and analysis.
A considerable amount of the information that artifacts can contribute to archaeological research is brought out in the conservation laboratories where the artifacts are cleaned, freed from concretions, chemically analyzed and closely observed and recorded.
Because of complexity of underwater excavations and conservation, careful planning is essential. If problems and solutions are anticipated, conservation actions will be more efficient and the results will be more satisfying. Therefore, a detailed plan of all the activities must be prepared beforehand. The objectives of the anthropological-archaeological project must be agreed upon by archeologists and conservators and the excavation well coordinated.
The planning must include the putting together of a specialized conservation team, the acquisition of the gear needed for excavation, stabilization, storage and packing, and the outfitting of a field laboratory and the transportation of the artifacts to a conservation laboratory. Although later adjustments can be made, it is important to clearly set the research goals regarding the artifacts (physical and chemical properties, manufacturing techniques, deterioration processes, effectiveness of conservation treatments, etcetera). Also to be considered is the future disclosure of information and the exhibition of the objects once the conservation treatments have concluded. Methods to guarantee their continued protection out of the water, or underwater if not to be retrieved, maintenance programs and monitoring of their state of conservation must also be established. And finally, sufficient economic resources to cover the costs of not only the excavation, but the future protection of the find.
Historical research for the conservation project
As already mentioned, structures or artifacts that have remained immersed in seawater may behave very differently than those buried in soil. As previous experience in other underwater archaeology projects has shown, it is very difficult to predict which types of materials are going to remain better conserved than others. It is only possible to hypothesize based on the following aspects:
- the properties of the constitutive materials and manufacturing techniques employed
- the historicity
- the environment surrounding the shipwreck
- the interaction between the materials of the shipwreck with its surroundings
We have already established the importance of previously acquiring as much historical information as possible in order to shed light on the objects to be found in the shipwreck. Therefore, extensive historical research on Nuestra Señora del Juncal (from the time of its construction to the moment it sank) was conducted. Because we are dealing with a period in history in which there is an enormous amount of documentation, a great deal of time has been dedicated to locating the documents and extracting the relevant data. Nevertheless, the information obtained will also help define research hypotheses and goals.
Today it is possible to have access to a great deal of historical information on Nuestra Señora del Juncal and other aspects of maritime history of Spain and its American provinces thanks to the Spanish Crown. Since the beginning of the colonization period, the Crown attempted to control all decisions involving shipbuilding, cargos, tariffs and prices, the composition of the crew, dates of departure, itineraries, and points of destiny. All information had to be precisely stipulated and followed according to the rules set on commercial traffic with the Indies.
The historical research of the 1630 New Spain Fleet Project has been going on for five years. Different archives have been consulted in Spain, Mexico and Cuba. A great deal of information has been retrieved concerning the fleet´s history and its historical context, as well as navigation and shipbuilding in the XVII Century.
The main objective of the analysis of historical documents for the conservation project is to obtain as much information possible on the following:
1. The building characteristics of Nuestra Señora del Juncal: Dimensions, building materials, parts and purpose of each of them.
2. Complete cargo (supplies, tools, instruments, decorations and trade cargo): Physical characteristics and functions.
3. The history of Nuestra Señora del Juncal from its construction until it sank: Number of voyages, possible modifications on the structure and/or repairs, as well as other data that might be of interest.
4. Testimonies of the survivors to help determine the state of conservation Nuestra Señora del Juncal had when it reached the seabed and how it has deposited.
THE BUILDING OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL JUNCAL
Nuestra Señora del Juncal was built at an interesting moment in the history of Spanish shipbuilding. It is a merchant ship adapted as a galleon, a type of ship designed to meet the requirements of transatlantic trade navigation. At the beginning of the XVIIth century the Spanish Crown through its different councils did whatever possible to homogenize and systematize shipbuilding by emitting ordinances, royal letters, treaties and memorials seeking to build the ideal ship for transatlantic trade. The ideal ship would sail well, be able to easily enter Spanish and American ports, be able to carry as much trade cargo as possible, and be a good warship capable of carrying out defensive and offensive actions. These documents are of great help to understand the construction technology and other important information on Nuestra Señora del Juncal.
Nuestra Señora del Juncal was built in Fuenterrabía, Guipúzcoa (Basque Country) in 1623 following the shipbuilding ordinances of 1618. The dimensions of the ship that were located on a visit held in Cadiz in 1627 almost correspond to the ones dictated on this ordinance. However the resulting tonnage is slightly higher: 669 tons. The ordinance states that no galleon should exceed 624 tons.
Nevertheless, documents have also proven that the rules were often broken and the hand of the experienced shipbuilder is evident in the design and specifications of the ships. There is really no ideal model.
Cargo
On the return trip, the cargo of Nuestra Señora del Juncal was composed of:
1) Supplies and tools necessary for the repair and the careening (rigging) of the ship, and all the gear needed to set sail, as well as artillery and munitions for the defense. Some examples are masts and spars, rigging (550 quintales), canvas (between 6300 and 7500 Castilian yards), planks, tar, nails (180 quintales), plates of iron (50 quintales), ropes, hemp, burlap, pitch, barrels, barrel rings, pulleys, tackles, anchors (5 anchors and several kedge anchors), lead (depending on the type of careen, it could vary from 4 to 6 quintales up to 75 to 90). The artillery that was possibly carried in the ship were: 24 to 26 bronze pieces (falconets or small cannons, sakers, culverins, cannons, slingers and blunders), also hand fire arms like muskets and arquebus; gunpowder (65 quintales) and shots (approximately 700 cannonballs).
2) Instruments for the voyage: navigation instruments: astrolabe, quadrant or cross-staff, compass rose or mariner’s compass, sextant, sandclocks, compass, capstans or winches, lead lines, log line for measuring speed and cleats. Also kitchen supplies, carpentry and caulking tools, and bailing pumps. For nourishment: wine, water, live sheep and hens, flour, bacon, rice, garlic, vinegar, codfish, oil, chickpeas, beans, cheese and kindling.
3) Trade cargo. The commercial cargo that was registered for the return voyage of the 1631 fleet ships, consisted of: silver bars and coins, plants and animals for coloring (palo de campeche, cochineal, sarsaparrila, indigo), as well as chocolate, leather, silk, among other items.
It is important to consider that these fleet ships would regularly carry from 10 to 30 % of the total cargo in unregistered merchandise, therefore we cannot find written records of them in archives.
History
At the time Nuestra Señora del Juncal was built, Spain was suffering and economic crisis and there was a noteworthy shortage of ships. In order to speed-up production, fraudulent measures were not uncommon, such as using wood of low-quality, not properly dried or of incorrect specifications and measurements. The resulting ship would require alterations after a short period of time. The same can be said for the rigging, latches, bolts and chains.
Occasionally ship owners modified the ship's internal structure in order to create larger storerooms for trade goods. Such was the case of Nuestra Señora del Juncal. Its structure was modified in 1624, and reports indicate that this may have destabilized it.
Ships often suffered structural stress on their transatlantic voyages due to the enormous distance and unfavorable climatic conditions. The wood from the ships would suffer great degradation caused by high water temperatures and wood boring insects that were common in American seas. Therefore repairs were necessary if they docked in New Spain over long periods of time. The 1630 fleet was forced to remain in the port of Veracruz for an entire year, but reports indicate that few repairs were made to the ships. The life of a transatlantic ship was usually from 5 to 10 years , or maybe four round trips. Nuestra Señora del Juncal had made one previous voyage to the New Spain in 1624. Between the two trips it remained in the port of Cadiz where some repairs were carried out.
The Shipwreck
A high percentage of the ships that did the Indies run sank. The main causes for a ship to sink were the following:
1. The ship’s design and characteristics: The use of inappropriate construction materials, defective building techniques, overloading, deficient ballasting and careening, among others.
2. Its use: Structural weakening produced by storms, or the deterioration of building materials due to external causes such as rotting or wood boring insects.
3. Navigation: Deficiencies in navigational charts, ignorance of currents, winds and climate cycles. Faulty decision making, or the use of imprecise navigation instruments, etc.
4. Fires or natural disasters such as storms
5. Attack by pirates or corsairs.
In most cases, the events surrounding the sinking are critical to the ship's state of conservation. During storms, such as the one experienced by Nuestra Señora del Juncal, ships would flood, and the structures would begin to break. In order to reduce weight, masts and cargo were usually thrown overboard. The ships structure was usually damaged by the time it reached the seabed. Testimonies of the survivors are very useful to reconstruct the events that occurred since the beginning of the storm.
Final Considerations
The information that archive research has given on the history of Nuestra Señora del Juncal and of its historical context, which complement and contrast it, still has some way to go. The next step will be to combine this information with the study of the shipwreck´s surrounding environment to try to predict its sate of conservation. This will be important in order to plan a successful excavation which will guarantee the preservation of the archaeological remains, as well as the knowledge they provide regarding navigation, maritime technology and the Spanish and colonial New Spain societies.
References
Chaunu, Huguette et Pierre
1956 Seville et l’Atlantique (1504-1650), Tome V: Le trafique de 1621 á 1650. Paris, Libraire Armand Colin, Centre de Recherches Historiques.
Cronyn, Janey
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Fernández Duro, Cesáreo
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Hamilton, Donny L.
1996 Basic Methods of Conserving Underwater Archaeological Material Culture, Washington D.C., U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program.
Jenssen, Victoria, Marta Leskard
1983 Proceedures for Marine Site Conservation: Red Bay, 1983, Ottawa, Ontario, Wet Organic Materials Lab, Archaeological Section, Conservation Division, Parks Canada, inédito.
Jover Argomenol, Ana
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Marín Baño, Carmen, Luis Carlos Zambrano
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Meehan Hermanson, Patricia
2001 "El estudio de la documentación histórica aplicado al pecio Nuestra Señora del Juncal" en Diario de campo. Boletín interno de los investigadores del Área de Antropología, no. 33, México, CONACULTA-INAH, junio.
Odriozola Oyarbide, Lourdes
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Pearson, Colin
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Rhan Philips, Carla
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Pérez de Andrés, Ma. del Carmen
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Pérez-Mallaína, Pablo E.
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Serrano Mangas, Fernando
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Archive References
Archivo General de Indias
Archivo General de Simancas
Archivo Histórico Nacional
Archivo General de Gipúzkoa
Archivo Histórico de Protocolos de Gipúzkoa
Archivo Histórico Provincial de Hondarribia
Museo Naval
Biblioteca Nacional – Madrid
[1] Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Coordinación Nacional de Restauración del Patrimonio Cultural-Subdirección de Arqueología Subacuática, Seminario #8, Centro Histórico, México D.F., C.P. 06060, México, e-mail: pmeehan@infosel.net.mx
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